How We Are
by Catalinay
Summary: A background fic to the first film - how Dom and Letty became a couple. Still working on it, even though the updates are few and far between lately. Some of the chapters get pretty explicit.
1. Author's Note

It's been about a decade since I started writing this fic. I guess I can't be too surprised, since I knew it would be an epic when I started! Still in progress, even though I haven't been able to update as much as I'd like. This franchise left me wanting more after the first film, and I'm still right there, wanting to know more about my favorite characters. Can't wait for a Dotty reunion in the next installment!

You also should read the companion epic, Mad Season by Amber, at .net/s/5316089/1/Mad_Season. There you'll get more of Leon and Amber's story, and also fill in some of the blanks in How We Are.

Thanks to Dixie, Amber, Mimi, and everyone else who has inspired and encouraged.


	2. You Gonna Stick By Me?

_"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does.  
Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up." _

-James Baldwin

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Maybe," I say, but he and I both know I'm not really serious. There's no way I could ever leave Dom. I owe him too much. I **love** him too much. I wouldn't even know how to begin to let him go.

Dom saved my life, and he doesn't even know it.

I used to idolize Dom, when I was little. When I was about ten, my mom met this guy and moved him into our house. Ray. He was the biggest asshole. My mom always did attract guys like that, for some reason. She always surrounded herself with them. Like they were a drug she couldn't get enough of. I couldn't do enough to stay out of the house that summer. Pretty soon, I found Dom and his dad.

They lived down the street from me, about three blocks away. Just far enough that I was safe from Ray seeing me if he happened to go outside looking for me, but close enough that I could get myself home quickly if I had to. Dom had just turned fifteen and Mr. Toretto had promised to help him build a car. Not that I knew any of that at the time. What I did know was, it was interesting to watch them as they worked, interesting to see Mr. Toretto interact with Dom. I'd never seen any father just hang out with their kid before; never even knew my own father, just that he was from the Dominican Republic and the reason my skin was so brown and my mom could barely stand to even look at me.

There was a huge tree in Dom's front yard, right next to the garage. An elm, I think - it's not there any more. But it was big enough for me to hide behind without being noticed. Or at least I thought it was.

I watched them for almost a week before either one said anything to me. I nearly had a heart attack when Mr. Toretto sidled up to me one day and asked, "You here to see Mia?" I just shook my head, scared to death he'd make me leave. But he didn't say anything else. I guess Mr. Toretto knew about needing to get away from things.

Anyways, he didn't make me leave, and so I kept coming back, day after day. Mr. Toretto didn't let me just watch for long, though. "If you're going to hang around, you might as well help out," he said. Dom just laughed at me. Eventually, I was right there, working on the car with them, wearing one of Mr. Toretto's old shirts so my clothes wouldn't get too dirty.

It took nearly six months to finish that car, and I loved every second of it. The day it was done, we drove out to the beach. I thought I was going to die - not only because Mr. Toretto let Dom drive. With the car being done, I didn't have any excuse to hang around the Toretto house. Mr. Toretto saw my disappointment, though, and kept coming up with reasons for me to come over. He claimed to want my opinion on ways to improve the car, or to need my small hands to poke into some mechanism and help fix it. I never said much about Ray, or my mom, but Mr. Toretto knew. He knew that I desperately needed something to keep me away from my house, and so he provided it. He was the first adult who ever really showed any affection towards me on a regular basis.

Over the next three years, I practically lived at the Toretto house. I was happy there; for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged somewhere. It didn't last long enough, though.

Mr. Toretto raced cars on the semi-pro circuit. Usually, Dom, Vince and I went with him, sometimes Mia did too. Mia was always kind of a girly girl, pretending she hated the cars. She didn't really, though. She loved the adrenaline rush as much as the rest of us. Every time we went out, she'd beg whoever was driving to go faster.

We didn't always all go to the races, but I never missed a single one. At least, not until Mr. Toretto's last. It was my mom's birthday; I couldn't get away from the house. I remember, I was so mad. She didn't even really want me there, she just wanted company because she'd just kicked Ray out - found him fucking some high school girl in their bedroom. My mom never was very good at being alone. She preferred the company of men, but I would do if there was no one better around. I screamed at her for hours that day, telling her she didn't understand, that she **had** to let me go. It didn't do any good, though. I was stuck at home.

I heard about the accident on the radio. They said Mr. Toretto's car had hit the wall at the track, that it exploded and he died. I didn't believe it was true, and I immediately snuck through my window and ran over to the house. It wasn't real to me, not until I saw all the cop cars parked outside. Mia was sitting on the front porch, tears streaming down her face. I'd never seen her cry before, not once. Vince was there too, trying to comfort her. He wasn't doing a very good job of it, though. Dom was nowhere to be found. No one knew where he'd gone after the race. He just disappeared - didn't even show up at the funeral.

I didn't see Dom for almost a week. By that time, Mia had gone to stay with their grandmother. The house was empty. He finally showed up at my place Friday night, I guess because he couldn't find anyone else. I was shocked; I didn't think he even knew where exactly I lived. I could tell as soon as I saw him that something was wrong. Very wrong. He looked like the world had ended. He grabbed me, squeezed me until I thought I would break, and the blood that was all over him got all over me, but all I could think was that it was the first time he'd really touched me. I was thirteen, and I'd been in love with him for over two years.

"Where's Mia?" he asked, shaking me a bit. There was a look in his eyes…it scared me. His face was hard, his voice gravelly…he looked crazy.

"She went to stay with your grandma," I whispered in reply.

"Good," he nodded, letting go of my shoulders. I wished he hadn't. "I fucked up, Letty, did something really dumb. I'm gonna have to go away for a while," he told me. He started crying, and that scared me to death but I tried to comfort him, tried to tell him everything would be okay, tried to tell him that I loved him. Before I could ask him what'd happened, though, three cop cars pulled up in front of the house. He grabbed me again, pulled me behind him like he was trying to protect me. Yep, I was in love.


	3. Have to Laugh

Eventually, I found out what Dom had done. He'd beaten the man who caused the accident that killed Mr. Toretto, taken a ¾" torque wrench to the man's face and nearly killed him. I still can't say I blame him, couldn't even if he had meant to do it.

Dom had just turned eighteen, so he was tried as an adult, sentenced to five years at Lompoc Prison. I didn't even get to say goodbye to him. They wouldn't let me into the courtroom without parental supervision, and there was no way in hell my mom would agree to let me go. "I always told you to stay away from those Torettos," she said with a smug grin on her face, even though she'd done nothing of the sort.

After that, my life went completely to shit. Mr. Toretto, Dom and Mia, all gone. And things kept getting worse. My mom let some new asshole move in right before school started. Steve. He was an even bigger jerk than Ray, if that was possible. He never had a job, drank all the time, smacked my mom around just because he could. She said he loved her, like that made it all okay or something. And, as if he weren't hanging all over my mom every second she was home, practically fucking her in the middle of the living room, Steve would give me the dirtiest looks, like he was undressing me with his eyes and just waiting for the chance to do it for real. I was worried, but Vince told me everything would be okay, that he would look after me and make sure I was all right. I was shocked as hell when he told me that. I always thought he saw me as just an annoying little girl who constantly tagged after him and Dom. I guess he liked me, at least a little bit. Or maybe he just felt sorry for me.

But three months later, Vince was gone too. He got pissed off thinking about Mr. Toretto and Dom, got drunk, stole a car, wrecked the car. Luckily for him, he was still seventeen, or he probably would have ended up at Lompoc with Dom. Maybe he would have preferred that to juvie, though. Luckily for me, the last thing Vince did before he got locked up was put a deadbolt on my bedroom door.

I started staying away from my house again, trying to avoid Steve, but I didn't really have anywhere to go. At first, I had school during the day so I only had to stay away until he got drunk enough to pass out at night. But then Vince left right before Christmas break, and during vacation I had to avoid Steve all the time. I tried staying at Dom's house, but I just couldn't do it. The emptiness just freaked me out. I started hearing things, imagining I saw Mr. Toretto walking out to the garage to work on a car. I had constant nightmares - dreams of car crashes and fires, with Mr. Toretto's voice telling me that if only I had gone to the race that day, things would have been different, or that if I'd only tried to find Dom after the accident, I could have kept him from going to jail. Heavy shit like that.

After I couldn't handle staying at the house anymore, I started to go to Hollywood Blvd. I would stay out all night on the streets, just watching people. After a day or two, I started hanging out with this small group of girls who worked the boulevard to pay for their drug addictions. One of them, Angel, had lived two houses down from me, used to baby-sit me when I was little. Strangely enough, I felt comfortable, safe, out on the streets with those girls. I was almost happy again. Eventually, though, my mom noticed that I wasn't coming home at all. We got into a huge fight one night when I stopped by to get some clean clothes. I told her I was staying away because Steve freaked me out and I didn't like being alone with him. She actually seemed to believe me, which completely surprised me. She said she'd keep an eye on Steve, make sure he didn't bother me. I spent that night at home, for the first time in nearly two weeks. I thought everything would be okay as long as I could make it through the three days until school started again. I should have known better.

The next morning, I slept in until ten. My mom had promised me that Steve would be out of the house, that I wouldn't have to worry about him. She had left for work hours ago, but I didn't mind being alone in the house as long as Steve wasn't around. Plus, I had the deadbolt on my door to protect me. That day turned out to be one of the worst in my entire life. I still can't believe how dumb I was to trust my mom when she said everything would be okay. Like she'd ever kept her word before…

My mom, being the woman she was, thought all she had to do was tell Steve to stay away from the house for a while and he would do it. She was incredibly naïve, sometimes. Or maybe just dumb. Or maybe she just decided that Steve was more important to her than I was. Anyways, while I was in the shower that morning, Steve came back to the house. He didn't even have to break in or anything, he still had his key. At the time, I didn't really know what was happening. One minute I was washing my hair, and the next I was trying to hide behind the shower curtain, with Steve all up in my face.

"Don't you dare scream, you good for nothing bitch," he yelled at me, and I remember thinking I was going to die. "You've been holding out on me too long, you little slut," he growled, and reached to grab the shower curtain away from me. He pulled me out of the shower stall so I was standing naked in front of him, trying as hard as I could to just disappear. I was frozen, I couldn't even move, let alone try to get away from him. "You'd better do exactly what I tell you," he said, and then ordered me down on the floor.

I guess I didn't respond fast enough, because the next thing I knew he was slapping me across the face over and over again. I still have a tiny scar on my forehead, right at my hairline, where one of his gold rings cut me. A souvenir of the occasion, I guess you could call it. Mia tells me all the time that no one can see it, but I still know it's there. Obviously she does, too, or she wouldn't remember to mention its supposed invisibility. Dom sees the scar more often than either one of us, but he never says anything about it. Every time he brushes my hair away from my face, though, I can feel him tense up with anger. We don't talk about it, but I know he feels guilty for not being around to protect me. That's okay, though. I managed to protect myself just fine.

Steve pushed me down, and I remember blood running down my face, and I started making these whimpering sounds, deep in my throat, and I was so disgusted with myself because I sounded like such a baby. I didn't even recognize my own voice. I said no, so low I could barely hear it. I screamed, once, and then he kicked me in the side, knocked all the air out of me. I don't know quite how I did it, but as he started to reach down to undo his pants, I pulled myself up and punched him in the balls. He ended up on the floor and I ran out of the bathroom, racing for the safety of my bedroom. I slammed the door shut, locked it, got dressed as fast as I could, grabbed some stuff out of my drawers, threw it into my backpack, and climbed out the window. I didn't even know where I was going, I just ran.

I ended up back on the streets with Angel. I still have to laugh to think that at thirteen years old, I was safer hanging out with prostitutes while they walked the street than I was in my own home. I have to laugh because if I didn't, I would start screaming, and I don't know if I would be able to stop.

Eventually, my aunt came and took me to live with her. I guess my mom had told social services that I'd gone to stay with my aunt for a while, but forgot to tell her that. So she got worried when a social worker came over to check up on me and she had to fake like she knew what the guy was talking about. She started looking for me that same night, found me a few days later, and brought me home with her. I still hung out with Angel and the rest of the hookers on Hollywood all the time, though. I just didn't give a shit about what might happen to me.


	4. Developing

When I was fifteen, I started developing. I'd always been really small for my age, looked more like a boy than a girl except for my hair. But almost overnight I grew six inches, gained about thirty pounds - most of it in my tits and my ass. And Sly, Angel's pimp, was the first to notice. He'd always been somewhat aware of me, hanging around in the background. And he'd tried to get me hooked to crack and heroin, just for the hell of it. But, after I got the tits and ass, he decided that I could make some money for him. He wanted me to work for him, and he needed to get me addicted to drugs to make sure I wouldn't go anywhere. He started harassing me all the time, even following me to my aunt's house, hanging out on the street in front or even in the yard.

My aunt was a great woman, she made me feel more at home than my mom ever had. I came first for her; she never ignored me because some guy was around. She made sure I went to school, stayed out of trouble, all that. For just over two years, she was the best thing in my life. Everything else completely sucked, especially school. It didn't take long for the other kids to find out that Sly was practically stalking me, and it seemed like their best entertainment was coming up with stories to explain it. My favorite one was that I'd fucked him, stolen several thousand dollars from him, and he was on a mission to get it back. Anyways, all the girls treated me like I was a pariah, and all the boys acted like I'd do anything they wanted me to. Beating the shit out of a few of them went pretty far in showing how wrong they were, but there was always a new asshole taking a dare from his friends or trying to improve his rep by saying he'd conquered me. As if.

I hated school, with a passion. The only thing that kept me from dropping out was my aunt. Almost every night, after she got home from work, she would check to make sure I'd done my homework. I remember, she used to call all of my teachers on a weekly basis to see how I was doing. Which was actually pretty embarrassing. I mean, teachers aren't supposed to know about your personal life. But hey, maybe it made them go a little easier on me.

My aunt and I had this cheesy tradition. Every Thursday she got off work early, and that would be our 'girls night'. We'd order pizza, rent movies, spend the whole night on the couch in front of the TV. We'd talk, too, about all kinds of things. She used to tell me stories from when she was little, stories about how her and my mom grew up. They had it pretty rough, too, especially after their mom died. She never tried to make excuses for my mom, though. She just explained. It made me understand my mom a lot better, made it hard to be really mad at her. I mean, yeah, I was still bitter about how my mom was. But, my aunt made me see that my mom didn't really mean to hurt me. She just wasn't strong enough to overcome her own problems. I still didn't like my mom very much, but after hearing the stories, I couldn't hate her anymore. I just felt sorry for her. And my aunt would always tell me about how she put herself through school, how she got away from her childhood. She got me thinking that maybe I had a future, that I didn't have to end up like my mom. I could be like her, instead. So, except for all the shit I got from the kids at school, life at my aunt's was pretty good. But Sly scared her. It was just the two of us living at her house, and she didn't think she could protect me if Sly pulled something more than just hanging around outside. She called the cops a few times, but they never did anything to help us. So she sent me to stay with her son, Leon, who lived back in my old neighborhood.

Leon was just barely 19, a mechanic. He'd moved out of my aunt's house right after he graduated high school, gone to live close to his job, the only decent one he could find. It was almost funny; Leon worked for a guy who'd opened a garage in the old neighborhood after the Toretto garage closed. I'm sure he didn't really want his little kid cousin living with him. But he didn't have much of a choice; his mom insisted, even though he said he was too busy with work to look after a kid.

A few months before I went to stay with Leon, the owner of the garage was arrested for possession of stolen goods, sentenced to ten years in prison. After that, Leon was the only one working there, so he had to manage everything himself and was barely ever home. That was okay with me, though. Living with Leon was like heaven, compared to my mom's house. I never wanted to go back there. And what I liked best about living with Leon was his job. I used to go hang out at the garage with him all the time, so he could keep track of me. At first, I didn't even want to touch any of the cars. They reminded me too much of Mr. Toretto and what I'd lost. But then one day, about a month after I started living with Leon, he had a Honda Civic he was working on for some guy. Leon loved that car; he had some kind of thing for Civics, for some reason. Personally, I don't think they're worth crap. This one was nice, though, for a Civic. It was light blue, flame trim, chrome bumpers, dual exhaust. It got towed in one day, and I still remember the exact conversation that Leon and I had about that car. It's what started me to getting my life back.

"Wasn't this car just in here a week ago?" I asked. "You losing your car skills, man?"

Leon looked at me like I was crazy to insult his mechanical talent, and for a minute I thought he was just going to ignore me completely, but he answered. "Yes, it was just in here a week ago. And no, I'm not losing my car skills. This guy is just extremely talented at fucking up his car, and has tons of money to pour into the thing. He wants to race. It's his new hobby or something."

"Hard to race when his car has to be towed into the garage…did he just add stuff on to the engine instead of rebuilding it or something?"

"Exactly. Like I said, extremely talented at fucking up his car. And a dumbass, to boot. Besides all his engine problems, he's burned out his clutch three times already. Pretty soon I'm going to have to try a metallic clutch, but I'm not sure even that would help him."

"So he wants to race, huh? What've you done to the car?"

Leon held up his fingers and started ticking things off. "Pirelli tires, as you can see. A spoon engine, Motech exhaust system, VeilSide aero kit… The last time this car was here, I had to replace the brand new heads I'd just put in. Wonder what he did to it this time. Shit, I spend so much time working on this car I might as well own it myself."

After thinking about it a minute, I offered a suggestion. "You should check the distributor and oxygen sensor, man. This year of Civics always have problems with those. Which is why, if he wants to race, he shouldn't be pouring his money into a crappy ass car like this."

"Hey now, watch your mouth, girl," Leon protested immediately. "Civics aren't bad for racing. Hell, just the stock model has a sixteen valve engine. And you know, if he knew the first thing about cars, he wouldn't have all these problems. But the longer he stays ignorant, the longer I can make money off of him... You're right, though, it probably is the distributor."

That was the last thing we said for a few minutes, until he looked up from the engine of the car with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Yo, Letty?"

"Yeah?"

"How'd you know that these Civics have problems with their distributors?"

I laughed. "Hey, I know cars, man."

"Oh you do, do you?" he laughed right back at me.

"Yep. One of my old neighbors used to race. He let me hang out, help him with his cars. Mr. Toretto."

"Ah," Leon nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I remember him I think. We hung out there sometimes when I was over at your house, right? With…Dom and Mia? And…what was that other guy's name…Vince? They still race?"

"No. Mr. Toretto died. Slammed into the wall at the track going 120. Broke his neck, then got burned up in a car-be-que. Dom and Vince, they would probably still race. But Dom got sent to Lompoc for assault, and six months later Vince was in juvie."

"Sounds rough."

"Yeah," I sighed. "Yeah, it was. I miss them."

That was the last time we talked about how I knew so much about cars, but from then on, Leon wouldn't let me just hang around the garage while he did all the work. Over the next few months, he taught me just about everything he knew about fixing cars. My life would've been almost perfect, except for Sly. Somehow he'd found out I was living with Leon. He never really did anything to me, but he'd follow me every time I left the garage. It was creepy. One night, he broke in and trashed a few cars, caused almost 100,000 dollars worth of damage. That's when Leon decided something had to be done.


	5. Always There

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Maybe," she says, and we both know that she's lying. If I didn't know her well enough to see the teasing in her eyes, I might worry. But I know Letty almost better than I know myself. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Letty saved my life, and she doesn't even know it.

She used to be a total pain in the ass, when she was little. I remember the first time I really noticed her. I was fifteen. My dad had gotten a line on this '69 Charger, and said I could help him rebuild it, said it might even be mine when I got my license. It was supposed to be a father-son bonding activity or something. I think he was trying to make up for Vince not being able to come around that summer. Vince had been my best friend since third grade, practically lived at my house. But that summer, his mom had a new boyfriend, a cop, and he'd gotten the grand idea that Vince ought to go to this military camp, thought he had a problem respecting authority or some shit like that. So Vince was gone for most of the summer. Then Letty started hanging around, hiding behind the big elm tree. She was a scrawny kid, looked like she was about seven or maybe eight, with matted black hair hanging down her back and big, dark eyes that always looked like she thought someone was about to hit her. I pretended not to notice her, but I did. Honestly, I hoped she'd get tired of watching us and decide to leave. But she didn't.

Sometimes I would get into fights with my dad about Letty. I didn't understand why he let her hang around all the time. I remember we had the same exact conversation over dinner for nearly a week. "She's got her own home, doesn't she? Why's she have to hang around here? Why d'you have to let her?" I would demand, my voice rising with every question.

"Letty doesn't really have a home, Dom," my dad would explain, quietly. "I know her mom's boyfriend, know the kind of man he is. Any house with him in it is no place for a little girl to be."

And that was all he'd say. Finally, I got tired of arguing about it over and over again and just stopped mentioning Letty at all. Like if I didn't talk about her, and didn't think about her, maybe she'd just disappear on her own. She didn't. Eventually, she started helping us out with the car instead of just watching, and I got used to her always being at the house. I just ignored her, for the most part, though.

That all lasted about three years. It only took six months to finish building the car, but Letty kept hanging around. That was an amazing car. Nine hundred horsepower. My dad raced her every so often, and one time she did the quarter-mile in nine seconds. Nine seconds. Amazing. He didn't race her very often, though, had a different car he took to the track. He raced about once a month, and we would usually all go with him. Sometimes, though, it was just Letty and me. She was actually a pretty cool kid to hang out with. We had fun when it was just the two of us, even though I still didn't talk to her much when Vince or Mia were around. Funny, seems like every memory I have from my dad racing, Letty's there. I don't really remember anything from before she started hanging around. It's like Letty was always there, always part of my life. The only race she ever missed was my dad's last. I remember wishing she had been there with me.

After my dad died, I went a little crazy. I couldn't go home, couldn't be reminded that he wasn't around anymore. I don't even really remember where I went, what I did. All I know is that a week after the accident I almost literally ran into Kenny Linder, the guy who'd clipped my dad's bumper and caused the accident. I hit him, and I didn't even realize there was a wrench in my hand until I saw all the blood. But it felt so good to hit him. I couldn't stop. Over and over again, until I could barely raise my arm at all, it was so tired.

Then, I ran. I went home, but no one was there. Just boxes. I couldn't go to Vince's place. His mom had ended up marrying the cop, and even in my daze I knew the last thing I wanted to do was run into a cop. I ended up at Letty's - almost passed her house, but then I recognized her mom's car sitting out in front. Letty came out almost as soon as I got there. I think she was surprised to see me. She even looked happy, almost. As happy as she ever looked when she wasn't working on a car or watching a race, anyways. I grabbed her, hugged her as tight as I could, and all I could think was that this was real. Nothing else was, I tried to tell myself. Letty was real. And as long as I was with her, I thought, it meant my dad was still alive, waiting for us to get home so we could leave for a race, or so we could help change the spark plugs or fix the intercooler or the fuel exhaust or the supercharger or change the tires.

I remember asking her where Mia was, but I don't remember if she answered. And I think I told her what I'd done, but I'm not sure if I really did or not. Maybe I just imagined it. What I do know is that she didn't pull away from me. She made some sort of shushing noise at me, and it actually calmed me down a little and I started thinking everything would be okay. But then the cops showed up.

I had just turned eighteen, and I wouldn't see Letty again for two years.


	6. Helping Leon

I tried to keep track of her; I remembered what my dad had said about her mom and her mom's taste in men. I wanted to make sure she was okay. But I didn't exactly have a smooth transition to prison life, and by the time I was allowed to write letters home, she'd disappeared. Mia had no idea what had happened to her, and no one in the neighborhood seemed to know either. Mia went by her house every so often, looking for her, but the guys she found there didn't even know Letty's mom had a kid. Every few months I'd get a letter, but they never said where she was, never even had a return address. Hell, I was lucky if they said anything more than "I'm okay," scribbled on the back of a scrap of paper. I was worried about her.

Then, I got word they were letting me out early, a little less than two years into my sentence. About a month before I was supposed to get out, I got a letter from a guy named Leon Mitchell. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I had a feeling it was trouble, though, didn't really want to open the letter. Wished I hadn't, after I'd read it. I still have that letter somewhere.

"Dominic,

I hope you're the Dominic Toretto who used to live at 1712 Getty Avenue. I'm writing about Letty. If you know her, call me at (323) 555-1734.

Leon Mitchell"

God, that scared me to death. I thought Letty was in trouble, big trouble. Turned out I was right.

I called Leon as soon as I could, which turned out to be two days later.

"This Leon?"

"Yeah."

"It's Dom. Dominic Toretto. You wrote."

"You know Letty?"

"Yeah."

"What's her full name? Just to make sure, you know."

I had to think about that for half a minute, never heard anyone call her anything but Letty. I remembered, though, when all of us went to the track to watch my dad race, she would doodle all over her program, practicing signing her name or something, some shit that little girls do, I guess. She never did that when it was just the two of us there, though; always too busy telling me about one thing or another, a regular blabbermouth. Almost like she was a different person when it was just the two of us. Or maybe I was different.

"Leticia. Leticia Gonzalez. No middle name."

"Okay, good, good. One more question."

"Why're you being so careful about this, man?"

"Hey, Letty's got enough trouble without me letting some random asshole who's just about to get out of jail know all about her."

"You could have a point. So what's your question?"

"What's her dream car?"

I had to laugh. "You do know it's been nearly two years since I've seen her, right?"

"Don't matter, her taste hasn't changed."

"Well then, has to be a Nissan 240 SX. One she could fix up herself. And then paint it some girly color."

"That's Letty."

"So what's up with her?"

"You know Sly?"

"Sly? No, I don't think so. Who's he?"

He laughed a little, to himself. "Sly's the guy who just totaled my garage last weekend. Completely trashed five cars, did some minor damage to a few others, and put the word out that any car brought into my garage will get trashed, too. And then I had to tell everyone that since they signed a disclaimer when they brought their cars in, they have to pay to get the cars fixed themselves. That went over real well, lemme tell you. Especially with this one girl who'd just brought her car in to us for the first time. Thought I might've had a chance to hook up with her, until this shit happened. Now nobody will come in, I'm losing money like you wouldn't believe. And, if the owner weren't in jail, I'd prolly already be out of a job."

"Sounds a bit extreme. What'd you do to this guy?"

Another barking laugh. "Nothing. Not a damn thing. Just took my little cousin Letty away from Hollywood Boulevard to try to protect her from him."

Now, he'd gotten my attention back, and I finally realized why his name was familiar. Leon Mitchell - Letty's cousin. Not that it made all that much difference to me who he was. Yeah, sucked about his garage, but I didn't really care about that. Didn't even really know this guy, so why should I care? But Letty? Her, I cared about, even if I didn't want to show it.

"Protect her from him? What was he doing to her?" I asked. I didn't even know who Sly was, but suddenly I wanted to find him and hurt him, badly. Especially if he'd done anything to Letty. Even though I'd never really paid much attention to Letty, thought of her like an annoying kid sister most of the time, she'd become part of my family. And my family was the one thing I cared about, besides cars.

"Well, a while back, things got pretty ugly with her mom's new boyfriend. She started staying away from home at night, hanging out on the streets. Eventually she ended up down on Hollywood Blvd. Got in with this group of girls. Angel, maybe you know her?"

I had to think about it for a minute, but yeah, I knew Angel. She was a few years older than me, used to live in the neighborhood until she got hooked on crack when she was around eighteen or so. Last I'd heard anything about her, Vince had seen her working Hollywood Blvd. I couldn't imagine what Letty would be doing hanging out with her, though. I remember thinking to myself, 'If that girl's gotten herself hooked on drugs and is out selling her body to pay for her habit, she's going to have worse things than this Sly guy to worry about after I get out.' I was not about to just sit back and watch Letty fuck up her life like I'd fucked up mine.

"Yeah, I know Angel," I finally replied.

I guess Leon could hear the anger in my voice, because he hurriedly continued. "Well, Angel used to baby-sit Letty a long time ago. And when she saw Letty out on the streets, I guess she took her in again. To try and protect her, or something. Anyways, eventually Letty's mom heard about it and dragged Letty back home. But the next day, something happened between Letty and her mom's boyfriend. He hit her…did some other stuff to her too, I think. I don't know what, exactly, she won't talk about it, but it was something bad. Letty left again, went back to the streets and back to Angel. Eventually, Angel's pimp noticed Letty. That's Sly. He's a nasty son of a bitch, and he's determined to get Letty working for him. He used to harass her all the time, when she lived with my mom. Followed her home, hung out in the front yard all the time…shit like that. That's why Letty came to stay with me in the first place. I guess he finally figured out where she'd gone to a couple weeks ago. Started calling my house, hanging around outside, following her to school...same shit he'd done before. Then, last weekend, he broke into the garage, trashed the cars. Left a message on the answering machine saying that if Letty didn't go along with his plans for her he'd go to my mom's house next, do the same, but to her."

"Damn… So what can I do?"

"Well, obviously I'm not gonna just hand Letty over to him. Not that she'd let me do that, anyways."

"Yeah," I laughed, interrupting, remembering the dark stares Letty used to give most everyone outside of our little group. "She always was a pretty tough little girl."

"Right," Leon replied, laughing a bit as well. Obviously he had some similar memories of Letty. "But then again, she's had to be pretty tough just to survive. Her life hasn't been easy."

"Yeah, I can tell," was all I could say to that.

"I try to look out for her, but I'm only one person, you know? There's only so much I can do. Especially now that the garage's trashed. No one will bring their cars to me anymore. Things keep going like this and pretty soon I'm gonna have to find another job, have to pay the rent and all. I can't protect Letty and do that at the same time. And she doesn't help any, acts like she's invincible, like no one can hurt her."

I cut him off, already seeing where he was going. "When I get out, you won't have to worry about a thing. I'll help you look out for her. Give me a few months to get back into racing, and your garage will even be back in business."

"Well, that'd be great…but I can't really wait another three years for you to get out. Just thought maybe you could suggest someone to help me keep an eye on Letty. Wouldn't want you bustin' out of jail or nothing…"

"Oh don't worry, they're letting me out in a few weeks. Good behavior or some shit like that. Besides, I'm not gonna do anything that would end me up back in this place," I replied, very aware of the guards listening in. I knew they'd just love to find an excuse to keep me in prison for a while longer. In case anyone monitoring the phone call began to think I wasn't quite rehabilitated yet, I quickly changed the subject. "So, Leon. You race?"

"Me? Nah, man. I just work on the cars," he replied, apparently not at all concerned at the sudden change in topic.

"How come?"

"I'm a perfectionist, man. I don't want to race anything but the best."

"And what do you think the best is?"

"Skyline."

I nodded in understanding, as if he could see as well as hear me. "Takes a lot of cash to race a car like that."

"Yeah, man, it does," Leon replied, laughing. "One of these days I'll have enough saved up, though."

Noticing Barnett, one of the guards, eyeing me, I quickly ended the conversation. "Hey, man, I gotta go. I'll catch up with you after I get home."

"Cool, dawg. Thanks for your help."


	7. Not a Little Girl

A little less than three weeks later, I was home. Mia, too. It was strange, with just the two of us in the house. Not in a bad way, just different. I don't think either one of us quite knew how to act at first. We just weren't very comfortable around each other anymore, which was disappointing because we'd always gotten along pretty well. But I didn't have too much time to worry about Mia. My first priority was finding Letty and getting her away from Sly.

Leon had told me his place was just around the corner from my dad's garage. I was supposed to meet him there Friday afternoon so we could talk some more about the whole situation with Sly, figure out how we were gonna take care of it. I got completely lost on the way there, though. Funny, how you can forget the little things about a place in only two years. I must've walked around that block at least five times, looking for Leon's street. But every time, instead of finding Magnolia Street and the little yellow house with an old white van in the driveway, I would end up at this little park. Any direction I turned I would, soon enough, find myself passing that fucking park again. Worse, I didn't even remember it being there at all before. Eventually I got so frustrated I almost just turned around to go home and call Leon, tell him something had come up and I couldn't meet him that day after all. But, I always have been a stubborn son of a bitch, and jail only made me more so. I figured I'd try to find Leon's house one last time, and if I couldn't do it, I'd take that as a sign that I wasn't meant to get involved. Well, I got a sign, all right. One of the kind that accidentally smacks you in the face and instead of apologizing says 'fuck you'. One of the kind also known as Letty.

I ended up at the park again, but sometime in that last walk around the block, I'd changed my mind about this being my last effort of the day to find Leon. Like I said, I was stubborn. Besides, I had promised Leon my help, and I wasn't going to give up just because two years in jail had fucked up my sense of direction so much that I couldn't even find a house around the corner from where I'd spent half of my life.

I wasn't ready to give in and go home, but I still didn't really know how to get where I wanted to go. So, I sat on a bench underneath a tree and waited. There were a lot of people in that park; young mothers with their babies, scrawny boys trying to look tough as they smoked cigarettes in a corner over by the swings and huddled in their jackets despite the hundred degree weather, grandmothers feeding breadcrumbs to the birds. That's one of the things I missed most when I was in prison - just the luxury of sitting in one place for a while, completely still, watching the world go past.

After I'd been sitting there for about twenty minutes, so comfortable that I'd almost fallen asleep, something startled me awake. "Fuck," I thought to myself. "Here I'm not even out of jail a week and I'm already letting my guard down. Yeah, I'm gonna be a lot of help protecting Letty from Sly…."

Then I noticed what had woken me up. Well, actually, who. The sweetest piece of ass I'd seen in a long time had just walked by. Hips swaying just a little, black pants practically a second skin. I was mesmerized; I could have watched her walk all day, as long as her ass kept moving back and forth like that. Slowly, I let my gaze drift upward, taking in the small patch of skin exposed between the waist of her pants and the bottom of her tank top. I almost growled aloud, and had to laugh at myself. I guess it had been longer than I'd realized since I'd seen a beautiful woman. Not many of those at Lompoc, and I wasn't at all interested in the men there. Her hair hung just past her shoulders and I didn't think she was wearing a bra. Suddenly I wanted nothing more in the world than for her to just turn around and let me get a look at her front.

She slowed down a little as she got close to the corner, and for a second I thought she had noticed me watching her. But then I saw the guy standing there, leaning against an old Cadillac Seville, apparently waiting for her. His hair was dark and greasy, he wore a tan polyester suit that looked like it had been inherited from an uncle who was about twenty pounds lighter and hadn't bought any new clothes since 1973. I thought she hesitated for a second, shied away from him almost, but then she kept walking so I decided it had to have been my imagination. I could hear the murmur of their voices as she came up next to him, but I couldn't tell what they were saying to each other. He reached out suddenly and grabbed her arm, spun her around so she faced the street, and I finally got that view of her front that I'd been praying so hard for earlier. And it did not disappoint. Her tits were just the way I like them - enough to grab onto and have some left over, but not so much that I'd suffocate in her chest.

I could have looked at her all day, just enjoying the view, but then she did something that made my heart stop cold. She stepped back from the guy, crossing her arms over her chest. At first, I was just mildly annoyed, because there went my chance to get a good look at her. But then…there was something familiar about that stance, I just couldn't place it. Then, I looked up at her face and saw a glare I knew almost as well as my own face. The first time I'd seen it was a few months after Letty started hanging out at my house all the time. She and I were in the garage by ourselves, working on one of the cars. Somehow we got started talking about our dream cars, she said hers was a Nissan 240 SX. I remember laughing, saying it was a piece of shit car that only a girl who didn't know any better would want to drive. She calmly stepped back, crossed her arms over her chest, glared at me for several seconds and then proceeded to list about a hundred reasons why me and all of my opinions on cars were a crock of shit, ending with since it was a proven fact that girls are smarter than boys, she was obviously right and I was just crazy and would eventually learn the error of my ways, probably when I'd been dumb enough to bet slips with someone running a 240 SX and lost. Anytime I tried to talk to her for the rest of that afternoon, all I got was that silent glare. I think that's when I actually started to respect Letty and not just think of her as an annoying little brat, even though I made sure not to let her know that. And after that day, anytime anyone even mentioned the word Nissan around the two of us, let alone a 240 SX, I wouldn't be able to keep the smile off of my face, especially when I turned to her to catch a glimpse of the look I knew she would be giving me. The same look on the face of the girl I'd just spent the past five minutes checking out.

I just sat there in shock for almost a minute, thinking to myself over and over, "Oh, shit. Oh my fucking God, that's Letty." After all the trouble I'd had finding Leon's place, she'd come right to me. Still to this day, I swear it must've been fate. I might've sat there on that bench for the rest of the afternoon, in complete shock that this chick I'd been mentally undressing was Letty, little Letty, who used to practically live at my house. Damn, she was just a kid! Or, she was the last time I saw her. She definitely wasn't **just** a kid anymore.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Sly," I heard her yell, and suddenly, without even thinking about what I was doing, I was off the bench and across the ten feet that separated us.

I walked up behind the guy, grabbed him in a chokehold. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Didn't you hear her, she wants to be left alone."

"Hey man," Sly drawled calmly, even as he was gasping for air, "this ain't none of your concern. She ain't for sale yet, but come back to me in a week or two if you're interested. I guarantee she'll be available by then, we just have some issues we need to work out."

Keeping him in the chokehold, I picked Sly off the ground. "Oh, you sure about that? 'Cause, I don't think this girl is ever going to be for sale. I think she's already mine. And, I don't think you want to fuck with what's mine. The last guy who did that, well, he's blind in one eye now, face all scarred. Can't even drive, has to take the fucking bus to work. I don't think you want to end up like him. Of course, this girl is very special to me. I probably wouldn't be content to let you live if you hurt her. Actually, I think you've already hurt her. So this is your warning. From now on, you might want to steer clear of me and my people. And we might be anywhere, so you probably want to leave the city completely, maybe even the state. I don't think you'd want to try me. Do you?"

I put him back on the ground, lessened the grip on his neck a bit so he could reply. "N-no," he stuttered in a whisper, shaking in my grasp.

Sly turned around and scurried away, glancing over his shoulder every so often to see if I was going to follow. I never saw him again myself, but I heard he moved to New York, made himself known as Silent Sly. He never spoke normally again, and no one ever took him seriously.

With Sly out of the way, I turned to Letty.

"You didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself, you know," she snapped at me, still giving me that Letty glare.

"Oh yeah, it really looked like you were taking care of him," I sneered at her. "He looked like he was terrified of you."

She made that pfft-ing noise that Mia always did so well, turned and started walking away from me. I didn't have any choice but to follow her.

"Come on, Letty," I pleaded, reaching out to grab her shoulder. "Is that any way to greet an old friend, especially after he saves your ass?"

She stopped, looked at me for a second, cocked her head to the side, then took a step back.

"Dom," she squealed, in the highest pitched tone I have ever heard her use in my entire life, "you fucking son of a bitch! When the fuck did they let you out?"

Almost before I realized what she was doing, Letty had thrown herself at me, reached up to wrap her arms around my neck and was hugging me as hard as she could. I just stood there for a second, but it felt good to be pressed up against a woman, against her. One of my hands naturally settled around her waist, the other rested in the middle of her back, confirming that she wasn't wearing a bra. As if I needed a reminder. As close as we were standing, her shirt was so thin it was practically see-through. Finally I let myself relax into the moment, hugged her back. Damn, but her body felt good against mine.

"So I'm yours, huh?" she asked, hitting my arm playfully.

"Looks that way," I replied, smiling at her. "So, you gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…if you're lucky!"

"Looks like you've grown up a bit, little girl," I said, a little surprised at the husky desire in my voice. She didn't seem to notice, though.

"Yeah," she laughed, leaning back a bit and smiling up at me before reaching up to hug me harder. "I haven't been a little girl for a long time, Dom."

"No, not a little girl anymore at all," I thought to myself, leaning down to pull her closer to me. I tightened my grip on her, one hand moving to cup her shoulder blade as the other slid further up her back, somehow ending up underneath her shirt, rubbing small circles into her skin. As she sank even more into me, until our entire bodies were touching, my hand moved around to her side to keep her steady. "So soft," I remember thinking. I might have said that aloud, even, but I doubt she heard me since my face was buried in her neck by that point. Her scent was intoxicating; she just smelled clean, but I hadn't been around anything clean for so long I couldn't get enough of it. I pressed my face closer to her and she sighed, her breath lightly tickling my neck. Suddenly I realized that I'd still been rubbing circles into her skin, but since my hand had moved, I'd been massaging the side of her tit.

Realizing that I was starting to get a massive hard-on, I pulled back from her slightly, and as I turned my face to get some air, saw an older woman glaring at us. "Hey, why don't you two just go and get yourselves a room?" she asked, scowling. "The Mar-Ray Motel's right down the street you know, and they only charge 10 an hour. There are little kids around here, you know."

Little kids. The words slammed into me, and suddenly all I could think of were all the times I had complained to my dad about Letty hanging around, saying I didn't want a little kid following me all over the place. Forget about the little kids at the park seeing us, Letty was still a little kid herself.

I pulled away from her quickly, not even responding to her shy, questioning smile. I didn't say a word to her, just grabbed her hand and started walking back to the old garage, pulling her along with me.

"Damn you, Dom," I thought to myself. "This is Letty. Letty, who's like your little sister. Letty, who's only fifteen years old, no matter how good she looks. And you promised Leon you'd protect her, not spend all your free time trying to figure out how to fuck her as soon as possible. You are not going to take advantage of her. She is not going to need protection from you. So just…stop thinking about her like that!"

Over the next few months, it turned out to be harder than I thought it would to keep myself from wanting Letty. Actually, it was impossible.


	8. Effect On Me

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

The first time Dom asked me if I was gonna stick by him it was a joke, and so was my answer.

He'd just saved me from Sly. Not that I really needed saving, I could have handled Sly fine by myself, just like I'd been doing for months. But Dom had somehow shown up at the park one afternoon when Sly decided he had nothing better to do than stalk me.

At first, I was just pissed off. I mean, who the hell did this guy think he was, getting all involved in my business? He had no call to do that…none whatsoever. It was pretty fun, though, watching him go off on Sly. From the look on Sly's face when this guy picked him up by the neck…I figured he was gonna piss himself or something.

After Sly left, I got a little bit worried. Better to face the evil you know than the one you don't know, right? And I had no clue who this new guy was, none at all. From the looks of him, though, I wouldn't have minded getting to know him. He was tall, over six feet. Shaved head, with just a little bit of fuzz. Eyes so dark they were almost black, lips that looked like they could kiss a girl for hours, and a body to die for. He wasn't really handsome, but there was just something about him that attracted attention, something that made my stomach drop out and my body start screaming, "I want that one!" I wasn't used to feeling like that about any guy, and I wasn't sure if I liked some complete stranger having such an effect on me.

Then, he said my name. I stepped back a bit to look at him, really look at him, and I suddenly realized. It was Dom! I was surprised as hell to see him, thought he was supposed to be in jail for a few more years. I didn't stop to think about what he was doing there in the park for very long, though. I was so excited to see him, I just launched myself into his arms, squealing like a little girl.

For a few seconds, it was just me doing the hugging. But then, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back. I teased him a little, falling back into the easy banter I'd always used to try to get his attention. It had never worked before, but this time… This time, I thought he almost might be flirting with me. So I leaned into him more, he leaned back, and somehow his hand ended up under my tank top, rubbing my back. It was like every fantasy I'd ever had about Dom was suddenly coming true. I kept trying to get closer to him, until my entire body was pressed up against him. I thought he would step back, move away from me, but he didn't. Instead, his hand moved from my back around to my side, so he was rubbing the side of my tit. I couldn't believe how good Dom's hand felt against my bare skin. He'd touched me before, but it just wasn't the same. His hand was strong, rough, callused, warm…I felt like my skin was burning up, but chills starting running down my back. I wondered if he even realized what he was doing.

Probably not, I decided after a minute. I mean, what were the chances that, after being in love with this guy for practically five years, he would get out of jail, see me, and just decide that I was everything he wanted in a chick? Still, I wasn't going to complain. I was a little annoyed though, that just that one encounter with him had managed to burn down all of the little rationalizations I'd used to try to convince myself I was over him.

We stood there hugging, or groping, for at least five minutes. I even thought, maybe, that he was starting to get a hard-on. I don't know for sure, though, 'cause all of a sudden he just backed away from me. Didn't give an explanation or anything. He just grabbed my hand, and practically dragged me down the street to his dad's old garage. We'd just barely gotten through the door when Leon showed up. From how they were talking, I guess Dom had been looking for Leon when he ran into me. Which I didn't really get, 'cause I could have sworn they didn't know each other. I asked Leon about it later, but he never answered, just changed the subject.

Dom went back to Leon's garage with us, and the rest of that afternoon I kept feeling him look at me. I'd turn around and see his head moving, as though he'd looked away just half a second before. It threw me off, made me think that maybe he was trying to check me out and not get caught doing it, that maybe he didn't see me as just a little girl anymore. But it also annoyed the hell out of me. I kept trying to think of ways to ask him about what had happened in the park, to see if it was a one-time thing or what, but he never let me. Any time I said anything even vaguely directed at him, he avoided replying. Dom came over to the garage just about every day, but he didn't talk to me at all for nearly a week. It got to the point where I started wondering if I'd imagined the whole thing in the park.

Eventually, we all settled into a routine. Dom wanted to get back into racing as soon as possible, so he started working on this '93 Mazda RX-7. He'd gotten it from some salvage yard, so it was cheap, but I still had no idea where he'd gotten the cash to pay for it. Didn't really think I wanted to know, either. He parked it at Leon's garage, was over all the time working on it. Really, Dom would be at the garage when I went over there in the morning, and he'd still be there when I left at night. Leon had met this girl, Amber, and they started hanging out together some nights, and Leon didn't want me to be home by myself, so I was at the garage even more than before. It was only natural for me to start helping Dom with his car, and it was almost like old times. Almost, but not quite. Dom seemed removed, somehow, like there was a barrier between us that had never been there before. He barely ever spoke to me, only when he wanted me to hand him something. When I tried to talk to him, he'd just look over at me briefly and then turn away without saying anything. It got to the point where I purposely started trying to provoke him. One day, I even said he should have gotten a 240 SX to race. Normally, he would've started laughing at me, remembering our constant arguments over that car. But this time, nothing. It was like I wasn't even there, and that pissed me off.

I'd been happy with my life before Dom came back. I mean, it's not like it was the greatest in the world, but it was mine. And I got to hang out at a garage and work on cars whenever I wanted, which made all the other shit I had to deal with at school and from Sly seem meaningless. But with Dom back, I didn't know what the hell was going on with my life. I used to be able to work on cars all day and not even notice the time passing. Suddenly, every minute I was in the garage seemed like an eternity. I wasn't happy with just the cars, anymore. I wanted something else, but I wasn't even sure what that something else was.

Once people started hearing that Sly had left town, business at the garage picked up again. Eventually, Dom started helping out with the other cars, not just fixing up his own, and that helped business too. At first, maybe people brought their cars in just because they wanted to help Dom out a little. True, he had nearly killed a man, but most people I'd heard talking about it said they could understand how it happened, and didn't really blame him for it. Soon enough, word got out that Dom was just as good with cars as his dad had been, and the garage filled up even more. We still took in the normal, everyday jobs, but with three of us working Leon finally had time to do what he really loved - restoration and customizing. Pretty soon, he was out of the garage at least once or twice a week hunting for cars that could be bought cheap, fixed up, and sold for a huge profit. So on those days, it would just be Dom and me at the garage, alone with all the cars.


	9. Loosened Up a Bit

Dom finally loosened up a bit with me. Or maybe we were just too busy for him to spend so much time trying to avoid me. It still wasn't quite the same as before, but it was enough, and my world slowly shifted back to normal. Except for those times when I'd pass Dom something and his hand would linger against mine just a few seconds longer than normal and I'd start analyzing his every single movement again. Did he mean to touch me for that long, did he feel anything in those few extra seconds before we would pull away from each other? Did he think to himself, if I brush my thumb across that spot on the inside of her wrist, her pulse will race and she won't be able to think of anything but me? Or, did he just wonder why this idiot little girl kept staring at him all the time? Dom could throw me off-balance in half a second or less, and it pissed me off. He was the only thing in my life that I didn't have any control over. So I decided to take some back by trying to get under **his** skin, shake him up a little bit.

I remember one day in particular, I was hanging out at the garage not really doing anything, just watching Dom work on this old El Camino that needed new brake pads. For some reason, I didn't feel like doing much that day. Well, okay, for once it was better to just watch Dom instead of working on the cars myself.

It seemed like he'd forgotten I was even there, which was kind of nice. Because, you know, I could watch him without having to worry about him catching me at it. Normally I didn't get the chance to really look at Dom, had to be happy with just quick glances here and there. I might've been lusting after him, and I was definitely trying to get his attention, but I sure as hell didn't want **him** to think that. Not when he'd just stopped acting all weird with me and gone back to semi-normal. So I made sure all of my flirtation could be played off as just teasing, like it always had been. I was sure he'd go back to avoiding me if he knew how I really felt.

I could have just sat there and watched Dom forever. The way his body moved as he slid the hubcaps and tires off of the car, the tightening and flexing of his muscles…the warm caramel color of his skin… I remember thinking to myself how pathetic I was, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Dom has always been able to make my body like…stop working, just by being in the same room with me. For as long as I can remember, I've always checked to see if he's there the second I get someplace that he might be. If he is, I don't want him to leave. And if he's not, I can't wait for him to show up. But somehow, in the two years Dom'd been gone, I'd almost forgotten what it was like being around him.

This is going to sound dumb, I know. Shit, I've been thinking about it half my life if not longer, and it still sounds dumb to me. But when Dom walks into a room, it's like he just draws everything to him, the light and the air, even. He's inescapable, you know? I've seen it a million times, over the years. Dom shows up somewhere, walks in with his swagger that just announces, "I own this place," and no one ever even thinks to argue. Actually, they fall all over themselves trying to suck his dick or do whatever else they think will make him happy for even a second. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have that much control over other people.

Dom changed, though, after he got out of jail. He swaggered more, put on that fake smile that I could always see right through. He didn't show as much of himself to the world. Maybe that's a survival tactic left over from prison, maybe it's just what happens as you get older, I don't know. But there's a wall there, just under the swagger, a limit to what he's willing to show most people. They don't even realize they're not getting all of him. I don't know if anyone besides me even sees the difference.

Sometimes I wonder why the hell I ever thought that maybe I could be Dom's, he could be mine. Shit, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever wondered why we're together. Seems like most of the bitches at the races wonder that every single day of their lives. I'm not quite sure what people see when they look at me. I've been called a little girl who grew up too fast, a dyke, a bitch, a slut, a whore, and once even a hussy; I've been looked at with pity, with anger, with jealousy… After a while I stopped paying attention, you know? Who the fuck cares what the world thinks about me. But sometimes I can't help but care, can't help but question what Dom could ever see in me. Sometimes I can't help but think that maybe I'm really still back in the garage at almost-sixteen years old, watching Dom, and that all the rest of my life since then has just been a fantasy. And then Dom will look at me and I remember how we are, and I can't help but wonder what the fuck is wrong with me for caring what anyone else thinks.

There are two things that make me feel special, like I'm worth something. The first is, I know cars. Anything that's wrong with a car, I can fix it. Any way you want me to drive one, I can do it. The second thing is the way Dom looks at me, the way he's looked at me ever since he got out of Lompoc. Even in the middle of a crowded street, filled with people waiting to race, when Dom looks at me I know exactly what's going on inside his head. He knows how I'm feeling by just the tone of my voice. Sometimes I think we know each other better than we know ourselves. And when Dom looks at me, I see his swagger fall away, the walls come down, and suddenly I feel like the center of the universe, like if I weren't there everything else in his life would just fall to pieces.

It's taken me a lifetime to try to figure all of this shit out, and I'm still not even close. I don't always know how to keep it all together, how to deal with Dom's audience. I get jealous sometimes, I get frustrated and bitchy…I want to beat the shit out of any girl who even looks at him. Want to beat the shit out of Dom, too, when he doesn't realize that he's playing right into their little sex fantasies. When Dom flirts with girls, he's just being nice…trying to make them feel important or special. He's the kind of guy that, no matter how big of a crowd is around him, he'll pay attention to everyone there, at least for a little bit. The problem is, most girls see that attention as an invitation to fuck him, think it means he's trying to figure out how to get in their pants without me finding out. It used to bother me a lot, how all the skanks of the racing world crowd around Dom, practically throw themselves at his dick. Even now, sometimes one of them will piss me off to the point where I'll kick her ass if she gives me any excuse to do it.

I can put up with a lot of shit from the skanks, I know there's a lot of shit talking that goes on behind my back. Story of my life, right? But I will not stand for people disrespecting me right in front of my face. You want to flirt with Dom? Fine, go right ahead. But you'd better not do it anyplace where I can see you. Any of those bitches give Dom a "fuck me now" look while I'm standing right there, I figure they deserve whatever they get. Most of the time, now, they just back down when I call them on their shit, walk away leaving Dom standing there looking at me like he's wondering what the hell just happened and why I look like I just might beat **his** ass if he's not careful. You'd think he'd figure it out by now, but he hasn't. Or maybe he just likes the idea of me trying to kick his ass…

I kind of miss the old days, actually. A little scrapping every once in a while is good for your spirit, you know? Especially when you're the one who walks away from it without even a broken nail. But mostly I just feel sorry for those girls. They're fucking pathetic, and they don't even realize it. They're so busy trying to hit on Dom, and none of them even notice that he isn't really quite paying attention to them. None of them seem to notice that he never looks them straight in the eye, his gaze always lands a little high and to the right. Or maybe they just don't care, maybe they think even a tiny bit of his attention is enough.

Okay, so maybe I was like that too, when I was younger. But, not exactly. The racer skanks want to be with Dom just because of his image, because he has a cool car, wins races, is popular, has an incredible body... They want him for the things they think he can do for them. I wanted to be with Dom just because he was Dom, because I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. That day in the garage, watching him work, I realized how lucky I was to be able to see the real him. And I decided that I didn't really need to be with Dom romantically, as long as I always got to see behind that wall of his. Of course I still **wanted** to be with him…

I remember thinking of things I wanted Dom to do with me as I watched him work on that El Camino, wondering if all those sex tips Angel and the rest of her girls had talked about worked half as well as they said they did. And then Dom stopped, lifted up his tank top to wipe the sweat off of his face, revealing his bare chest, and I couldn't think at all. Almost forgot how to breathe. I must have sighed or something, though, because he suddenly looked up like he'd heard something and whirled around till he was looking right at me.

"Damn, girl," he laughed. "You trying to give me a heart attack? How long you been here, anyway?"

"Oh, a while," I replied, stretching my legs a bit.

"Oh really, huh? You think I'm putting on a show or something? Now, why don't get off your ass and come help me bleed these brakes?"

"Well," I sighed. "I guess I could."

"Yeah," he laughed, "not like you've been doing much of anything else today. I mean, really, Letty…you think you can just lay around here and watch me sweat while you do nothing? You should know better than that. You have to pay to play."

"Oh, do I?" I asked as I finally stood up, stretching more. I wasn't even trying to do anything to get Dom's attention, but he must've seen something he liked, 'cause he nearly dropped the lug wrench on his foot. "You haven't even finished clipping the brake pads on yet. Come on, Dom…I thought you were the big strong man around here, able to do anything. You don't really need a helpless little girl to show you how to do this job right, do you?" I teased.

"Letty," he growled in warning, "you most definitely are **not** a helpless little girl. Never have been. Now come on, stop fucking around with me and just come help."

"Fucking around with you? Is that what I'm doing? 'Cause, you know, somehow I always thought it was supposed to feel better… Or maybe I just need more practice at it, huh? What do you think, Dom? You willing to teach me? Or maybe you're the one who needs practice…"

He just stood there staring at me.

"Got ya," I teased as I walked over to the car.

The rest of the summer was filled with days like that one in the garage, me seeing how far I could push Dom, how much he'd let me get away with. Have to say, I left him speechless on more than one occasion. Just enough times for me to think that maybe he really did see me as more than just a kid sister and I wasn't just imagining things. Dom still had the advantage, though. He could leave me speechless just by looking at me. And if he actually touched me…forget about it, any rational thought was just gone.

Like, I remember one day towards the end of August, Dom was underneath a car fixing an oil leak, put down the socket wrench he was using and then couldn't find it again. He asked me to look for it, and when I went to hand it to him, his hand brushed against my leg. Completely unintentional, accidental, innocent touch. But I just stood there, imagining what it would be like if his hand kept traveling up my calf until his hand was caressing the back of my thigh. Dom had to ask me twice if I'd found the wrench yet. And then he ended up having to actually come out from underneath the car and get it himself. I was so caught up in my fantasy world I hadn't even heard him. And when he asked me what the hell was wrong with me, all I could do was stammer out, "Uhhh…headache?" like I didn't even know what was going on. See? Pathetic. Dom looked at me like I was crazy, but he didn't say anything else. I can't even tell you how many times I did shit like that… Dom never called me on it, though, never pushed me to tell him exactly what I was thinking about when I flaked out. Unfortunately.


	10. Fell Apart Again

When school started, my life fell apart again. Instead of being at the garage, doing what I loved, hanging out with Dom and Leon all the time, I was back in the middle of hell. Somehow everyone at school had heard about Sly, so the latest rumor going around was that my boyfriend had gotten out of jail, and killed Sly for harassing me. Which yeah, would have been nice, if it were true. But it wasn't, so hearing all this speculation about my 'life of sin' with Dom just completely sucked.

High school rumors can be very complicated, you know? There were a million rumors about me out there, all of them different. Some people insisted I was fucking Leon. Most likely they came up with that because it was just the two of us living together at the house. And we don't really look anything alike…I guess most people would be surprised to find out we're cousins. Other people thought I was a dyke, since I hung out with boys and cars all the time. Or they said I'd been working for Sly since I was twelve, that he beat me and I got off on it, begged him to hurt me, that I'd do anything he told me to. Some of the guys at school, thinking they were all tough and shit, started really harassing me after that rumor started, trying to get me to fuck them 'cause they thought I was easy and submissive. How anyone ever got the idea I was submissive, I have no clue. But that stopped soon enough, after I beat the shit out of a few of them. That, plus the newest rumor that my boyfriend, Dom, was out of jail and possessive as hell and would kill anyone who touched me - okay, this is like the one rumor I ever actually encouraged - meant that no one ever really came close to me.

Mia had started taking business classes at the community college, and pretty soon Leon and Dom talked her into getting some practical experience by helping out with the accounting and stuff for the garage. I'd never really spent a lot of time with her before, but it was nice having her around. As busy as we were at the garage, though, we never really had much time to talk. Not until I fucked up my knee.

One day at school, towards the middle of October, we were doing track and field in gym. We were learning how to do the hurdles, and we were just to the point where we were supposed to know how to do it. Everyone had to take turns running the hurdles. And well, when I was jumping over the second to last hurdle, my body decided to stop cooperating. Somehow, my foot got caught in the top part of the hurdle, and I fell, twisting to the side before I hit the ground. So, my foot stopped moving, because it was stuck in the hurdle, but the rest of me didn't stop until I was turned halfway around and my knee was in complete agony.

The school nurse checked me over, said my knee had probably just gotten twisted and it should be fine as long as I rested it for a while. She said I shouldn't be walking around, so I should call home and have someone come get me. My knee didn't really hurt all that much, but I wasn't about to turn down a chance to get out of school.

I called the garage and Dom answered the phone. He sounded surprised to hear from me in the middle of the day, immediately asked what was wrong.

"Oh, uhm, I kind of hurt my knee, and they don't want me walking around on it so they're sending me home," I explained. "Is Leon around? I need him to come get me."

"Nah, Leon ain't here. Remember, he had to go make that delivery down to San Diego today. He probably won't be back till seven or eight. And he mentioned something about going to see Amber tonight, so he might not come home at all…if they finally decide to accept the inevitable and move past being 'just friends'."

"Oh," I said, disappointed. Being hurt and getting out of classes wasn't going to be half as much fun if I had to spend all day in the office until my aunt got off work and could come pick me up. They'd probably make me do homework or help them out in the library or some shit like that.

Then, I got an idea. "Hey, you think Mia could come get me? She won't have to be away from the garage for too long. I'm sure you can deal with anyone who calls or drops by. You can handle the place alone for an hour or so, right?"

"Well yeah, I could," Dom laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, by the way. It's touching, really. But there's a problem."

"What?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Mia has classes today, all day. Remember, she rearranged her class schedule last week so she could work at the garage more?"

"Oh, yeah," I replied, disappointed again. "Well, okay then. I guess I'll just call my aunt and have her come get me when she gets off work. Maybe she can leave early or take a long lunch break or something, so I won't have to hang around here too long."

"Oh, that hurts, Letty. You really know how to wound a guy, you know that?"

"What?" I asked, wondering what the hell Dom was talking about.

"I'm not good enough to come get you? It would ruin your rep to be picked up from school by a hardened criminal like me?"

All I could say at first was, "Huh?" Then, I finally managed to get my mouth working again. Well, kind of. "But…you're…the garage? Close it? Really? You'd do that?" I remember thinking I sounded like a complete idiot, but I just couldn't stop myself.

"Yes, really. No, wait, on second thought, maybe I'll just leave you to rot there for the rest of eternity, since you have so much faith in me. I'll be there in twenty minutes. Be ready." And with that, he hung up.

I couldn't even move, just sat there with the phone in my hand, staring at the wall until the nurse came in to ask if I'd gotten a hold of anyone. Even then, I could only nod my head. I'd never even thought to ask Dom to come get me. I just couldn't imagine him willingly leaving the garage in the middle of the day.

Ever since Dom started talking about getting into racing again, he'd been constantly complaining about how much money it took. He already a car, the RX-7. Personally, I always wondered why Dom didn't race the Charger, but I never found a good time to ask him. Besides, I figured it probably reminded him of his dad, and that's why he didn't want to race her. Or, maybe he didn't want to risk something happening to the car. It was just about the only thing left from his dad, besides the house and the garage. Everything else had been sold. Anyways, even though Dom had a car he still wasn't ready to race. He needed to rebuild the engine; add a supercharger, intercooler and new exhaust system; replace the clutch… The list was practically endless, and all of those things took money. Dom needed to put at least ten thousand dollars into that car to make sure he wouldn't go out and look like a complete fool when he started racing again. And most of the money left from Mr. Toretto was gone, used to pay for the funeral, to make payments on the house and garage, to buy stuff for Mia. So Dom needed money, quick. That's why we took in so many jobs at the garage, why Dom worked there almost eighty hours a week. And nearly all the money he made went into that RX-7. An investment, he called it. So I was amazed that he was willing to take a break to come get me from school. He'd practically insisted, even seemed insulted that I hadn't thought of asking him to come. "Hell, maybe he cares about me a little after all," I said quietly to myself.

Even though he'd said twenty minutes, Dom was at the school in fifteen. Didn't really surprise me. First, the garage wasn't all that far away. I usually walked there every day after I got out of hell. Er…I mean out of school. And secondly, Dom always did drive fast. Not crazy, but fast.

I saw him walk up towards the secretary's desk and tried getting up to go meet him, but my knee just wasn't cooperating. My whole leg had somehow stiffened up, and I could barely move.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Letty. I mean Leticia. Gonzalez. She got hurt today?" I heard him say, talking to the secretary. I was kind of shocked; I hadn't realized Dom even knew my full name.

"Oh yes, Leticia," she replied. "And you are?"

"Dominic Toretto. I should be on her emergency card, her aunt added me to it at the beginning of school."

Hmm. I hadn't known that, either. Smart thing to do though, I guess, once Dom started spending so much time at the garage. He and Leon were practically partners by then, practically family even though they'd only known each other a few weeks. They probably wouldn't have let Dom take me out of school without his name being on some official form. Schools are like that, full of rules and shit. Weird that no one had told me about it, though. And I didn't think my aunt had ever even met Dom. I wondered for a second if she actually knew, or if Leon had somehow managed to scam the school. Then I realized I didn't really care, as long as they let me leave with Dom.

"Right. Here you are, Mr. Toretto. I just need you to fill out this permit to leave campus. Does Leticia need to stop by her locker for anything, do you know?"

"I'm not sure," Dom replied, and I could almost see the confused look on his face, the same one he wore on the rare occasions when he didn't quite know what was wrong with a car.

"Well, let me know if she does. She's probably feeling pretty stiff by now. You need to have her lie down somewhere and elevate her leg when you get home, put a heating pad on it for about twenty minutes or so. If she's up to it, you can help her go and get her things from her locker, but you'll need a visitor's badge. Or, I can send one of the administrators over to get Leticia's things for her."

Dom was quiet for a few seconds, apparently thinking over his options. "Well," he finally replied, "I don't think she'd want anyone looking through her stuff. Why don't you give me the visitor's badge now, just in case."

"Holy shit," I thought to myself, "is Dom actually going to wear one of those dorky badges?"

Sure enough, when he came into the nurse's office a minute later, the badge was plastered to his shirt. He looked pretty dumb, with the huge sticker with the word 'visitor' in bold against a red apple on the strap of his tank top. The shirt itself was yet another surprise. It actually looked clean, not a smudge of oil or grease anywhere on it. Either he hadn't been working on any cars yet today, which didn't seem likely with the way he smelled, or he'd taken the time to change before coming over to the school. Dom just wasn't stopping with the surprises that day.

"So, are you ready to go, Leticia?" he asked, enunciating my name with a smirk on his face, one eyebrow raised. He was so going to pay for that later. I hate my full name. Way too girly. Joy and fucking gladness. Doesn't fit me at all. Still, it's the only thing that ever made me think that once upon a time my mom might have given a damn about me.

"But of course, Mister Toretto," I shot right back at him.

I tried to stand up again, but it hurt to put any weight at all on my knee, and I had to sit down again on the cot, grimacing.

"Uhm…Dom…" I started, feeling completely embarrassed and like a total sissy. "I don't think I can walk."

"Damn, Letty, what the hell happened?" he asked, his brows furrowing. "Did someone do this to you?"

"Hmm?" I asked, startled. "Oh, no, Dom, it was just an accident. No one's fault. The nurse said I'll be fine, I just need to relax and elevate my leg. It'll be good as new in a couple of weeks, if not sooner."

"I don't know, Letty…you can't even walk… Maybe we should stop by the clinic on the way home, have you checked out by a doctor, get some x-rays taken. You could've done something serious…torn a ligament or some shit like that…"

"Dom, that will take hours!" I protested. "You know how busy the clinic gets. I'd be completely healed by the time I finally saw a doctor. I'm fine, really. My knee must have just stiffened up while I was sitting here waiting. Can we just go home, please?"

His concern was touching, really. But I just wanted to get out of the hellhole before the lunch bell rang. I didn't want the whole school to see me all weak.

"Fine, we'll go home," he finally gave in. And before I could even congratulate myself on convincing him, Dom had picked me up and was carrying me out of the nurse's office.

As much as I wanted to leave right away, I did need to go by my locker. I had a history test coming up, and I had to get a decent grade on it or I'd be failing the class when progress reports were sent out, and my aunt would probably insist on me going back to live with her. Which wouldn't have been so bad, my aunt was great to live with. But Leon's place was home for me by then.

Dom carried me through that entire school to my locker, and then back out to the parking lot in front. I could feel everyone's eyes on us, staring through open classroom doorways. I wanted to disappear, but I settled for just hiding my face in Dom's shoulder. I couldn't even imagine the rumors I'd hear when I got back.


	11. Scared Me to Death

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

I can't believe how many times Letty has scared me to death over the years, thinking something terrible had happened to her. First, there was the whole thing with Sly. Which, yeah, we both act like that was no big deal, but he could have really hurt her that day, if I hadn't been there. She always tells me that she's a big girl, she can take care of herself. But I still worry. Ever since we lost touch when I was in jail, I've been worrying about Letty.

So when she called the garage from school, looking for Leon, I immediately knew something was wrong. She acted like it was no big deal, but they don't just send you home from school for nothing. And she said she hurt her knee? How the hell do you hurt your knee at school? Unless someone did something to her…

I had to go get her. Forget about closing the garage, that wasn't important. What mattered was making sure Letty was okay. Even if Leon or Mia had been around, I would have gone myself. Letty had somehow become the most important thing in my life, and she didn't even know. She didn't even think of asking me to come pick her up; I could tell how surprised she was when I offered. I tried to play it off, but it hurt that she didn't even think to ask me for help. I wanted her to trust me. I wanted her to depend on me, so I wouldn't have to worry about her leaving me.

"Yeah, you're a real big fucking man, Toretto," I muttered to myself as I ran out of the garage, stopping only to put on a clean shirt. "Can't even tell a girl you love her, can't even admit it to yourself."

I stopped dead in my tracks at that thought. Love? Did I just say I loved Letty? What the hell was I thinking?

"Fifteen, Dom…she's only fifteen," I muttered over and over to myself on the drive to the school. "Only fifteen, and her life's already been fucked up enough. She deserves something better than ending up with an ex-con who's never going to be able to do anything with his life other than race cars on the street and work in some rinky-dink garage as a mechanic. She deserves to find some nice kid her own age, fall in love, go to football games and prom, all that normal shit. So just…get over her. Protect her, but stay the hell away from her. All you'd ever do is hurt her, and you know it. You've already managed to fuck up your own life, and you are not going to drag her down with you."

I'd almost managed to calm myself down by the time I got to the high school, but then I recognized one of the cars in the parking lot. A yellow Wrangler. Two guys had just brought it in to the garage to get the shocks changed about a month ago, right after Letty started back to school. She'd just left the garage to walk to school when they got there, actually. Leon had gone to pick up some parts from our supplier, and Mia was off doing some orientation thing for college, so I was alone in the garage. I'd been underneath a car when they walked in, and neither one saw me at first. They were the type of guys I never liked, looked like they'd never worked on a car a day in their lives. I just didn't trust guys like that, still don't. In my experience, the pretty boys always have some scam they're trying to run. I was about to get up and go see what they needed when I heard them talking about Letty. I decided to stay put for a while and listen to them.

"Hey, doesn't that girl go to our school?" the first asked. From under the car, all I could see of him was his shoes, some expensive hiking boots that looked like they were brand new. His friend was wearing combat boots. They looked brand new too. Fucking rich kids. Just what I needed to start the day out with.

"Yeah," the second one laughed. "I think she lives here or something. Fucks the owner for room and board, I heard."

"Hey, sounds like a pretty good deal for him if it's true. I wouldn't mind getting a piece of that ass myself," hiking boots replied, laughing as well.

"Yeah, she looks pretty tough, but I bet she's all show. She'd probably do anything you wanted her to. Or she would soon enough. Girls like that just need a man to smack them around a bit, get them into line."

"Probably do anything to get away from this place. I can't believe anyone actually lives in this neighborhood. I'm sure she'd suck and fuck the first guy who showed any interest and looked like he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in this hellhole."

Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to hurt them. Badly.

"Oh yeah," I said, startling them as I slid out from underneath my car. "Girls like that are a great fuck. You'd think they were all over the place around here, wouldn't you? The problem, though, is that most of those girls already have very protective men in their lives by the time you all come across them. 'Cause, you know, the ones that are worth anything, the men in the neighborhood notice. Take me, for instance. There's this one girl, I've had my eye on her for a long time now. She comes across pretty tough; her life's been pretty fucked up. She probably would've done just about anything to get a different life, to get away from here. I tried to protect her as best as I could, but then I got sent up for assault. Not much you can do from prison. And you know, when I got out, I came home to find some guy harassing her. I didn't like that too much. Then, he tried to convince me that she'd been the one making the moves, coming on to him. I liked that even less, 'cause I absolutely cannot stand a liar. And I know there's no way in hell that my girl ever would have wanted him. Nothing in this world has ever turned her on but me, and a Nissan 240 SX going at least 120 miles an hour. Nothing else ever even came close. So, of course, I had to demonstrate to this guy what a mistake in judgment he'd made, picking my girl to go after. You know, they say he'll never talk again. I probably should have killed him altogether, but I don't really like spilling blood in front of my girl. It bothers her. Hopefully just maiming the guy will be enough of a message to the rest of the world. 'Cause I still have to worry about her, you know? She's beautiful; any guy would want her. Some are stupid enough to just try and take her. Most of them, she can handle herself, but there are some real determined fuckers out there, you know? Just can't take the hint that a girl's not interested, have to keep pushing her. And with her being so young and all, I've still got a while before I can really let the world know she's mine, unless I want to get sent up again by some well-intentioned mother fucker of a social worker. So I've got to make sure no one tries to mess with her without paying a huge price. Say, you guys probably know her, you look about the right age. She's a sophomore, over at the high school. Her name's Letty. Well, only to the people that matter. You'd prolly know her as Leticia. Hell, you might even have seen her walking to school when you drove up, she left just a few minutes before you got here. She's an amazing girl…sexy as hell, and I never have seen another chick get so turned on by cars. Kind of strange, that she likes the Nissan so much, isn't it? I keep trying to tell her that there are better cars out there, but she just won't listen. Oh well, what can you do, right, but give your woman what she wants. You know how it is, I'm sure. Well, actually, maybe you don't..."

"So, now," I continued after a minute, thinking to myself that the expressions on their faces as they realized exactly who I was talking about would provide me with entertainment for months to come, "what was it you needed done to this Wrangler, again?"

They just stared at me for a few minutes, before combat boots guy managed to stammer out, "Just need to have the shocks checked, man."

"Sure," I replied, smiling. "It'll be done by Friday."

I must have sat there in the school parking lot for a good five minutes, thinking about those guys. I wondered if they'd gotten the hint, or if they'd been stupid enough to try to approach Letty. If anyone had hurt her…I was going to have to kill them, jail or not.

I found my way to the office easily enough. After all, I'd gone to that fucking school four years myself. The second I walked in, I started looking for Letty. I finally saw her through a doorway. They had her in the nurse's office, resting. She still had her gym clothes on, shorts and a little t-shirt thing, and they had her knee wrapped up in an ice pack or something. She looked like she was okay, so I finally relaxed a little bit. Enough to talk to the secretary and get everything taken care of so I could get out of there, at least. Played the concerned friend of the family role off to the hilt. I swear, they should give me an Emmy or something. 'Cause when I saw that Letty couldn't even walk…I wanted to tear the place apart. What kind of fucking place lets a girl sit there with just minor medical attention until she gets to the point where she can't even walk? They should have called an ambulance in first thing, taken her to the hospital, to see a real doctor.

I wanted to take her to the clinic to get checked out, but she kept arguing with me, saying it would take too long. Finally, I gave in. I knew that look in her eyes, the one that meant she wasn't going to back down. I figured I could talk some sense into her once I got her home, take her to the doctor later that afternoon. So I just grabbed her up in my arms and got her the hell out of that place. Well, after a minor detour to her locker. She must have been hurting more than she was willing to tell me, 'cause after a while she just kind of tucked her head into my shoulder.

Carrying her around that school was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Not because she was heavy, far from it. Maybe if she'd been wearing something besides those shorts I would have been all right. But, how I was holding her, my hand was right where the shorts ended and her bare leg started, and as I walked her body kept shifting so that I was basically rubbing her ass. And the fabric kept moving around so that every few steps I would get a handful of her bare skin. Plus, when she turned her face into my shoulder, she also pressed her tits right into my chest. Made it pretty hard to pay attention to just getting her out to the car, when what I really wanted to do was just take her into an empty classroom and rip all of her clothes off.

When we finally did get out to the car, I noticed one of the guys who belonged to the yellow Wrangler watching us, like he was trying to figure out if I'd been telling the truth that day in the garage or just bullshitting him. It was hiking boots, I think. Couldn't be sure, though, 'cause he was wearing different shoes. I nodded to him, after I got Letty all settled in the car, gave him a little smirk. He just looked away, but I was sure that by the time Letty got back to school, everyone would think she was mine, if they didn't all ready. Maybe then I wouldn't have to worry about her so much. Yeah, right.


	12. Acting Weird

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

After I hurt my knee, Dom started acting weird. Weirder than he had been, I mean. After we got home that first day, he acted like he was all concerned about me and shit. Got me set up on the couch, covered me with blankets till I felt like I was in a fucking oven, propped my leg up on some pillows, got me the remote, the phone, a soda and a handful of Tylenol, asked me if I was okay until I thought I was going to have to smack him just to get him to shut up. He didn't say a word about needing to go back to the garage, though, just sat there on the floor and watched me, rubbing my arm until I was practically asleep. The last thing I remember from that afternoon is the feel of him leaning over me, almost but not quite touching me, his lips brushing across my forehead.

And after that, Dom was like, overly protective of me, like he thought I was gonna break or something. He insisted that I just stay at home and lie on the couch, got mad whenever he saw me up and walking around. It was nice at first, being pampered and getting to stay home from school. But after a few days it was boring as hell. There's only so much to watch on daytime television, you know. So, when I got to the point where I could walk around okay, as long as I went slow, I headed over to the garage.

The first day, Dom was the only one there when I showed up. I was still a little shaky on my feet, and I'd walked the few blocks to the garage. Probably not the best idea I've ever had, but I didn't have any other way to get there.

"Letty, what the fuck are you doing here?" Dom yelled as soon as he saw me. "You're supposed to be home, resting, with your ass on that couch."

"It's no big deal, Dom," I replied, sighing. "I just got bored at home. There's nothing to do there, no one to talk to. It was driving me crazy."

"You should have called me if you needed something," he said, suddenly calmer, walking up to me.

"Yeah, sure Dom," I replied, sarcastically. "And you would have run over to the house to entertain me, leaving all this work here still needing to be done and your customers calling to ask why the hell their cars aren't ready when you said they would be."

"You're more important than these cars are, Letty, don't you know that?" Dom said, so softly that I could barely hear him.

He reached his hand up to my face and stroked my cheek and I don't know if it was his words or his touch or just general exhaustion, prolly a mix of all three, but suddenly it was all I could do just to stand up. Dom must have noticed, 'cause he picked me up and carried me over to the office, made me sit down. He lingered over me, brushed a strand of hair away from my face, and I thought he might kiss me, but Leon drove up right then, yelling for Dom to come help him unload the latest supply shipment from the van. I love Leon, but I swear to God, I could have fucking killed him right then and there without one regret.

After that, Dom still wouldn't let me around the cars, saying he didn't want me to hurt myself even more, but he didn't protest as much when I showed up at the garage. So I just hung out in the office with Mia all the time. Sometimes Leon's friend Amber would come over and hang out with us too, waiting for Leon to finish up in the garage so they could go out. There was this old couch in the office, so I could sit down and prop my leg up when my knee got to hurting. We would blast the radio, sing along at the top of our lungs to Salt-n-Pepa, En Vogue, TLC, 69 Boyz, Montell Jordan, Hootie and the Blowfish, and dance around the office until Dom or Leon would come in and threaten to break the damn thing if we kept listening to what they called 'that fucking shit'. Those two never have appreciated good music...

It was actually fun, hanging out with Mia and Amber. I could be goofy around them without having to worry about looking dumb, and weak. And I could talk to them about guys and stuff - even though Amber always insisted that she wasn't the one to ask for advice on men, unless I wanted to know the kind I should stay as far away from as I could. But I mostly asked about one guy in particular.

"Mia, what the fuck is up with your brother?" I asked her one afternoon when it was just the two of us and I was especially frustrated with Dom, making sure to close the door to the office so he and Leon wouldn't hear us talking.

"What do you mean?"

"Like…okay, sometimes it'll seem like he's flirting with me, and then he'll like…do stuff…"

"Do stuff? Like what?" she asked.

"Well…like he'll touch me, and it'll be for just a second or two longer than normal. Or he'll just like…stand really close to me…look at me weird. And sometimes he leans in close to me until I could swear he's about to kiss me, but then all of a sudden he just pulls back for no reason. And then I'm not sure if he really was going to kiss me, or if I'm just reading way too much into it and imagining everything and just driving myself crazy for no reason," I blurted out. "I mean, it's not even like he's really flirting. There's just something in his eyes…I can't explain it, but it's not how regular people look at me."

"I think he's in love, Letty," Mia said softly, smiling at me.

"Oh, that's great, just perfect. Someone up there must really, really hate me, to put me through all of this shit," I thought to myself. "I do **not** think I can handle seeing him all lovey-dovey with some chick. It was bad enough when he was fucking every skank at the races when he was in high school, but I never thought he really cared about any of them. And what kind of guy practically kisses one girl when he's in love with someone else? I could've sworn Dom wasn't like that. He'd better not turn into your typical male asshole, 'cause then I'll have to beat the shit out of him…"

"So, who's the slut?" I asked Mia, after a minute or two had passed and I'd gotten my thoughts under control a little.

She just laughed. "Letty, it's you!"

"What? Mia, you smoking crack or something? You're crazy, girl! Me? You're saying Dom's in love with me? No way…no fucking way…"

"I'm serious!" she insisted. "I hear him talking to himself about you, when he thinks I'm not around. He's completely sprung."

"Yeah? Then why doesn't he do anything about it? I mean, yeah, he flirts with me sometimes. Or, I'm pretty sure it's flirting. Maybe I'm just imagining it. But then, it's like he gets to a point where I think he's finally going to make a move and he just backs off, completely shuts down. Why would he do that if he were sprung on me?"

Mia nodded her head in understanding. "I think Dom's afraid he's going to hurt you."

I could only stare at her. "What? Hurt me? That's crazy. You know, forget what I said earlier. I think Dom's the one smoking crack, not you. Or maybe both of you are…"

"Yeah," Mia laughed. "Well, Dom's a guy. And when have you ever known a man to be rational, especially when it comes to dealing with women?"

"You do have a point there," I had to agree.

"And, you know," she continued, "ever since Dom got out of jail, there are times when I get home and he's completely off in his own little world, doesn't even notice I'm around. Sometimes when he gets like that, I'll hear him muttering to himself, over and over, 'She's only fifteen; stay away from her; don't you dare screw her life up; she deserves better than you,' like he's trying to talk himself out of something."

"So, wait. You're telling me that Dom is in love with me, but he won't let himself do anything about it because he thinks I'm too young or too good for him or he'll ruin my life or some shit like that? Have I mentioned yet that your brother is like, completely insane?"

Mia laughed. "Well, you won't get any argument from me about that." She was silent for a few minutes before continuing. "So…I take it you kind of like Dom, too?"

"Kind of?" I asked, embarrassed. I could feel myself blushing, and I hate that. "You mean it isn't completely obvious? Well, that's a relief, I guess. At least I haven't been looking like a lovesick little girl to anyone but myself. I've liked…no, I've loved Dom since almost before I can remember."

"So," Mia said a few minutes later, a scheming look on her face. "You've been in love with Dom since like, forever, but he never paid any attention to you. And now, he's in love with you, but won't let himself do anything about it…"

"Exactly," I sighed. "You know, my aunt always says that God never gives you anything too big for you to handle. But I swear, I'm starting to think He's a sadist."

"Oh, God, Letty," Mia laughed. "Just don't let Father Manuel hear you say anything like that. He'll have you reciting the Hail Mary for the rest of your life as punishment!"

Just then the phone rang, and I sat there thinking about what Mia had said while she talked to whoever it was, trying to explain that their car wouldn't be ready until the next week unless they wanted to pay for us to overnight parts from Japan.

"I can't live like this, Mia," I complained when she finally got off the phone. "I can't keep putting up with Dom and all his bullshit. He needs to hurry the fuck up and make up his mind what he wants. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Don't worry, I'll come up with something," Mia assured me.

What she came up with was a plan I liked to call Operation: Get Dom to Stop Acting Like a Complete Fucking Idiot. Which didn't really shorten itself well, but it made Mia and me laugh like crazy.

Mia explained it like this: "First, you need to come on to him. Strongly. He is a guy, you know, and they tend to be completely clueless even when you lay it all out for them. Touch him a lot, squeeze past him, ask him to rub your back for you. Tell him he smells good, if you can manage to figure out a way to make him believe that oil and grease and sweat smell good. You don't want to tease him, though…just make sure he notices you. We have to get that control of his to break down."

"Are you sure this will work, girl? I don't want to end up looking like a fool," I sighed to her. The plan actually sounded kind of dumb, to me. But it wasn't like I had any other brilliant ideas.

"Yes, of course it will work!" Mia exclaimed. "Trust me. Oh, and you should like…start changing in front of him…out of your coveralls and into your school clothes, or something."

"Mia! Are you trying to make me look like a total slut or something?"

"Oh, come on, it's no big deal. Well, I mean, it will be, since it'll be you changing and Dom watching. But if you two were really just friends, it wouldn't be a big deal at all. I swear," she replied.


	13. Handcuffs

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

After she hurt her knee, Letty started spending a lot of time with Mia and Amber. At first I hadn't wanted Letty anywhere near the garage at all, thought she should be at home resting. But after a few days, she showed up and refused to leave. I couldn't get her to stay away from the garage, but I **could** keep her from working on the cars so she wouldn't hurt herself more. I didn't protest too much about her not staying at home and resting, though. I figured I could keep a better eye on Letty if she were close by. Plus, I'd kind of missed having her around. So I pretended to reluctantly agree that she could help Mia out. And Amber was there all the time, waiting for Leon to finish up whatever he was working on so they could go hang out. She got to be pretty good friends with Mia, actually, so sometimes it turned out that Leon was the one waiting for **her** to be ready to leave.

It was nice to hear the three of them laughing in the office, talking about whatever girls talk about. Nice, but also a little disturbing. It was just weird to see Letty acting like a girl. I mean, of course I knew she was a girl. How could I not, with her body? But I'd never really seen her around other girls before. Mia and her, they act…different, when they're together. Silly, and shit. It was nice to see Letty relax a little bit, have some fun. And I liked Amber, thought she and Leon were good for each other, thought they ought to just get things over with, realize they were more than just friends and hook up already. But I missed having Letty out with me, missed talking to her or just working on cars together. The garage felt empty without her being right there next to me. Not that I would admit it though, especially since it was my own idea to keep her away from the cars.

Letty hanging out with Mia and Amber turned out to be torture in more ways than one. Not only did I miss having Letty to myself, but the things those girls talked about… They didn't seem to realize that I could hear everything they said unless they closed the office door - which they practically never did. I swear, they almost gave me heart attacks more than once. I remember one day in particular, the three of them were in the office talking with the door open just a little bit. I'd almost forgotten they were there - for once they didn't have the radio blasting some lame ass excuse for music. But then…

"Velvet-lined handcuffs??" Letty shrieked, giggling. "These people have to be insane…"

I looked up, wondering what the hell she was talking about, thinking to myself, "Handcuffs? Velvet? What the fuck??"

"Oh come on, just think about the possibilities," Mia laughed. "You could like…handcuff him to a car or something and do whatever you wanted to him… And you know, with the velvet, you wouldn't have to worry about chafing, leaving marks…"

Normally I don't pay all that much attention to Mia when she starts talking about guys. I don't really want to hear about my sister's love life, you know? As long as she's happy, I stay out of it. But I had to find out who Letty was interested in. So I casually moved closer to the office, trying to act like I was just getting a part for the car I was working on.

"Sure, Mia," Letty replied. "Like I'd really be able to handcuff Dom to **anything** if he didn't want me to. He'd kick my ass!"

"What??" I remember thinking to myself, a smirk spreading across my face. "She's thinking about putting handcuffs on **me**?? This could get…interesting…"

"Hmm…" Mia trailed off. "Well…maybe if you got him really drunk? Or, I don't know…slipped a Valium into his coffee or something? Although, I have no idea where you'd find one…and Dom doesn't really drink coffee… Maybe a roofie would work…but I don't know where you'd get one of those, either…"

"Well…" Amber laughed. "I'm sure I could find some shit that'd be guaranteed to knock Dom out till next Sunday…the question is, would you be able to move him after he was unconscious… He's pretty big..."

"Oh, I know!" Mia cried. "Do it while he's asleep! That'd be perfect. Just handcuff him to the bed. And he sleeps on his back, so you wouldn't even have to worry about flipping him over."

"Mia thinking up ways to get me in handcuffs… This is just so wrong, in so many ways," I remember thinking to myself. But I was curious. Well, okay, more than curious. Letty and I had always kind of flirted, back and forth, especially after she started helping me out with the cars at the garage. I knew I wanted her…and I **thought** she wanted me, but this was the first time I'd ever heard her actually say so.

"Yeah," Letty laughed. "The question is, after he wakes up…then what?"

"Okay, this is my brother, remember," Mia shrieked. "After he wakes up…you're on your own! I don't even want to think about it…"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure I could come up with something. I'm not this innocent little girl who has no idea what sex is, you know…Angel told me quite a few things! But I meant…you don't think he'd like…get mad about it? I mean…wouldn't it remind him of Lompoc too much?"

"Hmm…you might have a point there," Mia trailed off. "But there's where the velvet comes in! Somehow I doubt he's ever seen a pair of velvet-lined handcuffs before… And think of it this way…you'd be creating good memories to replace the bad ones! Pretty soon, I'm sure anytime he even thought of handcuffs he'd think about you instead of Lompoc… And that would be good, right? He'd have to thank you for doing it, even."

"That could get interesting," Letty laughed.

They stopped talking about handcuffs then and moved on to making fun of the latest fall fashions or some boring shit like that, but I couldn't stop thinking about what they'd said. Just knowing that Letty was not only thinking about sex…with me…but also talking about ways to actually do it, even if she was just joking around… It's the first time I remember thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could be with Letty without ruining her life. If I wanted her, and she wanted me… How could it possibly be bad for us to be together?


	14. Not a Morning Person

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

I was supposed to put Mia's plan into action the next weekend, but as things worked out, I never got the chance to. Fate or something took over, and everything ended up happening all by itself. The day after my big talk with Mia, Leon got sick. Really sick, to the point where he was puking all day and could barely drag his ass out of bed. We were pretty busy at the garage, with more than Dom could handle by himself. So, suddenly, the two of them decided that my knee was healed up enough that I could start working on the cars again. They also decided that I could help out at the garage before school until Leon got better. I don't know how the hell they thought either one of those decisions were up to them, and I almost threw a fit when Dom told me about it over dinner that night. But Mia kicked me underneath the table, glared at me every time I even looked like I was going to open my mouth to say something. So I stayed quiet.

The next morning, I woke up early to go help Dom out at the garage. I almost literally fell out of bed at five a.m. and got dressed, wearing just a bra and underwear under my coveralls. I was going straight to school from the garage, so I had all my clothes and shit in my backpack.

Dom was already at the garage when I got there, changing the oil on an old Buick, one of the cars that had been dropped off at the garage overnight. He looked all happy and shit, whistling away as he leaned under the hood of the car. I just glared at him. I am so not a morning person. He and Leon were going to owe me big for this, I'd just decided.

"Hey, Letty, how you doing this morning?" Dom asked when he noticed me.

"Ugh," was my only reply, as I stifled a yawn. "Dom, it is way, way, way too early for conversation and shit. Just tell me which car to start working on and let me be miserable in silence."

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "Fine. You can start replacing the clutch on that truck over there while I get through these oil changes. Let me know if you need any help. So what's your problem today? You get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or something? PMS maybe? You're not catching whatever Leon has, are you?"

"No," I replied, exasperated. "No, I didn't get up on the wrong side of the bed, and no, I don't have PMS, and no, I'm not catching whatever Leon has. And, my only problem is that it's five-thirty in the fucking morning and instead of being in bed, where I should be, I'm in this freezing cold garage with some asshole who doesn't know when to just shut the fuck up!"

I guess Dom got the point, 'cause he didn't say anything after that. I got completely absorbed in replacing the clutch. It had been a few months since I'd done one all by myself, but I definitely wasn't going to ask Dom for help and let him think I didn't know what I was doing. When I finally finished, I stepped out from underneath the lift and looked over at the clock to check how long I had left before I had to leave for school.

I don't know if it had taken me longer to finish with the clutch than it should have, or if Dom hadn't meant for me to do the whole thing that morning or what, but it was about a quarter to eight. In other words, I had fifteen minutes to walk the eleven blocks to school and get there in time for the test I had first period. Maybe I could make it, if I left right that second and ran the whole way. Yeah, and that was so not going to happen.

"Dom!" I screeched, just as he stepped out of the office. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you tell me what time it was?"

"What are you still doing here, Letty?" he said, at nearly the same time. "I thought you left nearly an hour ago!"

"You thought I **left**? You've kept track of where I've been for practically every single fucking second of every single fucking day for the past three weeks if not the past three months, and here you thought I just left without saying goodbye or anything, and you didn't go rushing after me to make sure I was okay? Oh, that's just rich."

"Well, you seemed like you didn't want to be bothered…I thought maybe you were mad at me or something…" he said, sheepishly. It would have been cute, if I hadn't been so pissed.

"Uggh!" I growled. "Well, I was fine before, but I'm not too happy now! Okay. So, now that I have like fifteen minutes to get to school, here's what's going to happen," I said, as I started walking towards the entrance of the garage, where Dom always parked. "Are you coming? I swear, Dom, if you know what's good for you, you'll be right behind me in ten seconds or less. Oh, and make sure you have your keys." I unzipped my coveralls as I walked the rest of the way to the car, shrugging out of them before I slid into the passenger seat.

"Letty, what are you doing?" Dom asked, pausing outside the car.

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing, Dom?" I replied angrily. "I'm changing! What, you want me to go to school in dirty coveralls? I don't think so! And, since I now have twelve minutes to get there, I don't have time to change anywhere else but in the car. So will you get the fuck in, all ready? 'Cause, if you don't hurry the fuck up, I'll completely miss my science test, which there are no make-ups for, since Mr. Wilson is the biggest dick in the entire school. And then, I'll most likely end up failing the class this quarter, since I have a C in there right now. And then, my aunt would want to kick my ass. Except, given my strong survival instinct, I would have to tell her whose fault it was that I missed the test. And then, she would want to kick **your** ass. And she would, without hesitation. Probably Leon's too, just for good measure. And after that, she'd probably drag me home to live with her, since she'd think that Leon obviously isn't doing a very good job of keeping track of me and making sure I do well in school, like he swore up and down to her he would. That's the only reason she let me stay here when school started up again, you know. Maybe you'd like that, huh? Wouldn't have to keep tabs on the annoying little kid anymore, right? Well, I am not going to let you get rid of me that fucking easily, Dom, so you can just get in the car and prove what a big, bad ass street racer you are."

Sometime during my little tirade he must've gotten the hint, because right after I finished, the engine roared to life and we took off, tires squealing. I almost bashed my head against the dashboard as Dom braked to shift from reverse into drive while I leaned down to rummage through my bag for my clothes, but he reached over and put his hand on my shoulder to keep me steady.

I found my jeans first, and got my legs into them before sitting up to pull them on the rest of the way. Dom looked over at me when I pulled up, and the expression on his face…it was just stone. I felt guilty as hell for making him look that way, and thought to myself, "Oh, great. Now he'll **really** think he's only going to fuck your life up and not want anything to do with you. Way to put Mia's plan into action."

"Well, at least you managed to change in front of him, girl," I thought to myself after a few seconds, as I lifted my ass up off of the seat to finish putting my jeans on and noticed Dom looking over at me again. "Maybe it's not completely hopeless."

Dom somehow managed to get me to school within five minutes. Which, you know, is just one more piece of evidence that God or whoever runs things up there really hates me, because I still didn't have a shirt on, and we were just early enough that there were still people hanging out in the parking lot and I'm sitting there in the front seat of Dom's car, half-naked. And, as if that wasn't enough, I somehow managed to get my hair caught in the hook on my bra. I didn't even know shit like that was possible.

"Uhm, Dom?" I asked, hesitantly, after trying to get my hair uncaught and failing miserably. He just looked at me, didn't even say anything. "Oh, shit," I thought to myself, "he really does hate me now."

"What, Letty," he finally said, sighing. "Look, we're here, you still have plenty of time to get to class…if you hurry."

"Uhm…well…my hair is…kind of…stuck. Uhm…in my bra," I muttered.

"Your hair is what? Where?"

"Stuck. In my bra," I repeated, wanting to just crawl in a hole somewhere and die. Preferably quickly, but even a slow, agonizing death would have been a million times better than this. "Could you help me?"

He looked like he didn't even want to touch me.

"Look, Dom, I'm sorry I yelled at you before, really," I quickly said. "And it's probably my own damn fault that I lost track of time. I probably took way more time finishing that job than I should have. I just…this is a really big test, and it's practically my worst subject, and Mr. Wilson completely hates me, and you know how I am in the mornings, and…"

"Will you just turn around already, Letty, so I can see exactly what you've managed to do to yourself?" he asked, cutting me off.

I turned, and the feel of his warm hands on my back sent shivers down my spine.

"Now…how the hell do you work this thing?" he asked, his fingers fumbling with the clasp of my bra.

"What?" I replied, laughing a little. "Come on, Dom…are you saying you don't know how to unhook a bra?"

"Hey, I just got out of jail, remember," he replied, and I could hear the frustration in his voice. "It's not like I've gotten a lot of practice with this type of thing, lately."

Finally, he managed to get my hair free. "Hey, did you say you finished replacing that clutch?" he asked as I was pulling my shirt on over my head.

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "I know, I know, you probably could have done it in half the time, but it's been a while since I worked on a clutch."

"Actually, I don't think I could have. I thought I'd have to finish it up later myself," he laughed.

"Really?" I asked, feeling all warm and tingly inside, proud of myself. I looked over to him as I opened the car door. "So…thanks for the ride, Dom. And I really am sorry I yelled at you earlier. Are we cool still?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I remember how stressful school can be. You'd better get to class, you know. Wouldn't want you to be late after all this."

"Yeah, tell me about it," I said, grinning at him as I got out of the car.

As I was halfway around the car, I heard Dom calling my name. "What now?" I asked, walking over to the driver side window, clutching my arms around myself. It was colder than I had thought it would be, and I hadn't brought a jacket or anything.

Dom didn't say anything at first, just got out of the car, and stood next to me, looking me over. Finally, he reached up and rubbed my cheek a few times. "You had a little spot of grease on you. There, it's gone now. Figured you wouldn't want to spend the whole day walking around like that. Might clog your pores, or something."

"You're crazy, Dom, you know that?" I laughed. "But thanks."

"You cold?" he asked, noticing my shivers.

"Yeah, a little. Not exactly your typical LA weather today, huh?"

"No, definitely not the year-round 85 degrees they promise in the travel brochures," he replied, turning away from me to reach inside the car. "Here, take this," he said, handing me his new red leather jacket.

"Thanks," I told him, smiling. "You know, you'd better be careful, people will start saying you're a total softy, they see you doing stuff like this. Or they'll think I've got you completely whipped."

"Yeah, well, since when have I ever given a fuck about what people think? Besides, can't have you getting pneumonia or some shit like that. Especially not now that I know how good you are. Replacing clutches and all, I mean."

"Oh, of course. Have to get something out of putting up with all my bitchiness, right?"

I half turned to start walking away again, but Dom reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me back to him and into a loose hug. "Good luck on your test, Letty," he murmured, his lips brushing against my hair.

Just then, the warning bell rang.

"Well, you'd better get to class," Dom said as he let go of me, turned me around and pushed me off in the direction of the school entrance.

I walked off in a daze, wondering what exactly had happened that morning, if I had somehow dreamed the whole thing. "Maybe Mia was right after all," I thought, smiling. As I passed a group of girls, I could hear them whispering, asking who that guy was and how he'd ended up with a girl like me. I had to laugh to myself; I'd thought everyone knew who Dominic Toretto was.


	15. Walking a Fine Line

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

I couldn't believe I was at the high school again. After all the time I spent just waiting to get out of that fucking place, there I was, back twice in one day.

"This is probably the biggest mistake of your whole fucking life, even bigger than what you did to Linder," I thought to myself as I leaned against the brick wall at the entrance to the school. "You are walking a fine line here, Dom…and you're about to fall over the fucking edge of it."

I couldn't not be there, though.

Finally, I saw Letty walking towards me. She was still wearing my jacket, and I had to smile. It was way too big for her, came down to the middle of her thighs, the sleeves completely hid her hands. It made her look like she was mine, and I liked that. A lot.

"Hey, Leticia," I heard some guy yell to her. I almost went back to my car, thinking to myself, "See, this is who she should be with. Some guy from school, her own age. Not you, Dom. Just leave her alone." But then he continued. "If I said you had a great body, would you hold it against me?"

"Yeah, and how much would Sly charge us? Five, ten bucks?" another boy added.

Letty hesitated slightly, like she wasn't sure if she should stop or just keep walking. I couldn't believe that she would let anyone get away with saying things like that to her. But then, she lifted her head to glare at the boy. "The question," she snapped at them, "is how much would you have to pay me to keep me from kicking your ass, Lamont."

"Oh, yeah, sure," the guy replied, reaching forward to grab Letty's arm, gesturing to his crotch with his other hand. "You know you want this, bitch."

"Well now, this should be interesting," I muttered to myself, leaning back against the wall.

"Get your fucking hands off of me, you mother fucking son of a bitch," Letty growled, completely calm.

"You gonna make me?" he asked in reply, smirking, putting his hand on her ass and trying to pull her closer to him.

As Letty pushed this asshole away from her, swung at him and hit him in the stomach, I slid away from the wall and walked over to them.

"Is there a problem here, baby?" I asked Letty, cocking my head towards the excuse for a guy she'd called Lamont. "You need some help, or you got this guy covered?"

"Nah, I got him," she replied, looking over at me and smiling. "So what are you doing here?"

"What," I laughed, stepping closer to her. "I'm not allowed to miss you?"

"You missed me, huh?" she asked, looking a little confused. Not that anyone but me, Leon or Mia would notice the slight difference in her voice, the questioning look in her eyes.

"Oh hell yeah," I replied, reaching up to brush the hair away from her face, gesturing with my eyes over towards our audience. "I've been missing you all day."

"Yeah?"

"Yep. Besides, I heard on the radio it might rain this afternoon, and I didn't want you getting all wet. Not from the rain, anyways."

"So…we leaving, or are you just going to stand there and look at me all day?"

"Well," I said, reaching out to pull her closer to me, "you know how much I love looking at you…but I actually had other things in mind…"

She shivered a little, I noticed, and I wondered if I was actually getting to her.

"You warm enough?" I asked, sliding my hands from her waist to further up underneath her jacket. Well, my jacket. But I didn't think I was going to be wearing it much anymore, as good as she looked in it.

"Well, now I am," she replied, laughing at me. I thought she might even have been blushing a little, and I had to smile. It was cute, but I knew how much she hated looking flustered in public, and I was sure she'd make me pay for it later.

Thinking I'd gotten my point across to Lamont, I stepped back from Letty a little, took her hand, and started walking away.

We didn't say anything to each other as we walked to the car. But I didn't let go of Letty's hand, not even when we were out of sight of Lamont and his gang. I didn't want to stop touching her. I had to laugh at myself. I knew exactly how to act when I was putting on a show for other people, claiming Letty as mine and trying to intimidate them into staying away from her. But I didn't have any idea how to act around her when we were alone, couldn't even let her know how I felt. I'd been with tons of chicks before I went to jail, never had to think twice about how to act around them. But Letty was different from all those other chicks. She was special.

Before we got into the car, Letty shrugged her way out of my jacket and laid it down on the backseat. I was sorry to see her take it off, actually.

"Thanks for letting me borrow this, Dom," she said, breaking the silence that had built up between us. "I would've totally frozen my ass off today without it."

"So…how'd your test go?" I asked after a few seconds, desperate for anything to talk about, anything to distract myself from remembering the last time we were in the car together.

"It went pretty good, actually," she replied, giving me a strange look, like she wondered why I was asking. "Mia helped me study for it, all last week, so that helped a lot."

"Yeah, she always has been good at that sort of thing," I said, trailing off into silence again.

"So, you don't mind that I came to pick you up, do you?" I asked when we were halfway to the garage, feeling like a complete idiot.

"What," she laughed, "you think I like walking home every day? I don't mind being driven around everywhere, not at all." She paused slightly, then continued, "Why did you, though? Just curious…"

"Oh," I started, not knowing exactly what to say. "Well, it really is supposed to rain today. And I know Leon and I said you'd only have to help at the garage before school today, but we got about five new jobs in. So I could use your help again, if you don't have too much homework..."

"Oh, I see how it is, you just want my help so you don't have to work so hard," she laughed. "Hey," she continued hesitantly after a minute, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Thanks for backing me up with Lamont. He's a real asshole."

"Yeah, well, it looked like maybe you needed some help, and I was there, so…"

"Needed some help? Oh, please! I totally had him!"

"Sure, Letty," I laughed, indulging her. "Just like you totally had Sly too, right?"

"Exactly."

"Those guys bother you a lot?" I asked, looking over at her briefly.

"Nah, not really," she replied. "They've never actually touched me before. Mostly they just say stuff, bug me about Sly and all the other rumors and shit they hear about me. I just ignore them, or at least I try to. Today, I just couldn't help myself, though."

"Yeah, well, maybe now they think you're…taken," I said slowly, looking over to see her response, "they won't be so quick to even say anything to you."

That last comment had brought a strange expression to her face, as though she wasn't quite sure she liked the idea of everyone thinking she was my girl.

"I hope you don't mind me doing that," I said quickly, dying a little inside.

"Hmm? Oh, no, Dom, it was a good idea," she replied.

I was relieved, even though she still seemed distracted. Just then, it started pouring.

"See?" I laughed. "I told you it was really supposed to rain."

"Yeah, yeah, I believed you!" she smiled back at me. "It's a good thing you came to pick me up, though. Your jacket would have been ruined in all of this water."

"Oh, I wouldn't have minded. It would've kept you dry, at least."

Right as we got up to the front of the garage, I remembered exactly how many cars had been dropped off during the day. There was nowhere for us to park except out by the street.

"So," I said as I pulled into the driveway, "why don't I just let you out by the door and then I'll go park, so you won't have to be out in the rain so long."

"Damn, Dom," she protested, reaching over to smack my arm lightly. "You think I'm gonna melt or something? It's not raining that hard, I'll be fine. Besides, it's not fair for you to get all wet when you came out to pick me up."

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "Whatever you say, Letty."

By the time we got inside, we were both soaking wet. Letty's shirt was plastered to her skin, and I was sorry she wasn't wearing white.

"Ugh," she muttered, wringing her hair out just inside the door. "I think I **should** have had you let me out at the door. My hair's gonna take hours to dry…my clothes too, prolly. Oh well, at least I have my coveralls here to change into. Now…where'd they end up, when we ran out this morning?"

"Uhm…they're in the kitchen, on the counter by the microwave," I replied, as I took off my wet shirt.

She just stood in the doorway to the back room a minute before looking at me. "Hey, Dom?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have anything here, a shirt, and like, a pair of boxers maybe, that I could borrow? I really am completely soaked…and there's nothing more uncomfortable than wearing wet underwear…"

"Uhm…" I struggled to think, trying to get my mind around the idea of Letty wearing my clothes. "Yeah…there should be some stuff back there. Look in the bottom cupboard over by the sink…"

"Thanks," she said, as she walked through the doorway, out of sight.

It was a good ten minutes later when Letty came out into the garage again. At first, she just poked her head around the doorframe. Somewhere she'd found a rubber band or something to tie her hair up with, so it was off of her face, but I could still see small drops of water running down her neck.

"Uhm…Dom?" she asked, hesitantly.

Yeah?"

"I don't know what you did to my bra this morning," she laughed, blushing again, "but…I can't get it off!"

"What?" I asked, sure I was suddenly blushing myself.

"You heard me," she insisted. "So…could you help me? Please?"

"Yeah, okay," I finally stammered out. "Come over here."

She walked into the garage, the arms of her coveralls tied around her waist, holding one of my old t-shirts at her side, and my breath caught in my throat. Sure, I'd seen her wearing less just that morning, but now I had time to really look at her. And, she looked like everything I never knew I always wanted. At that moment…I fell completely in love with Letty.

After fumbling with her bra for a few minutes, I finally got the hooks undone. Okay, so I played around with it a little more than I really needed to, trying to find an excuse to keep touching her. Noticing her shivering, I stepped closer, reached around her to rub my hands against her arms. Then, hesitantly, I reached back up to her shoulders and pushed one strap, then the other, off of her.

She slid the t-shirt over her head as she turned to face me, giving me a perfect side view of her bare tits for half a second.

"You really ought to work on that, you know," she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. "Took you long enough. And here I thought you were supposed to be some kind of ladies' man, the biggest player in the neighborhood…"

"Yeah, sure," I replied. "Like I said this morning, I'm out of practice. You willing to be my guinea pig, till I can hook or unhook any bra in five seconds or less, one-handed?"

"Oh, yeah, you bet," Letty laughed. "Why would you want me to use as a guinea pig though? I'm sure you could get any girl to let you practice on her," she continued after a few seconds, looking down at her feet.

"But what if I don't want just any girl?" I asked, reaching over to lift her chin up.

Before I could think to stop myself, I lowered my face to her and kissed her, my lips brushing lightly across her mouth, catching her by surprise.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked quietly when I'd pulled away, looking up at me.

"I wanted to," I replied softly, bending down to kiss her again.


	16. Going to Race

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"I'm going to race," I announced as I walked into the garage after school, one Friday in the middle of December, a few days before my sixteenth birthday. Dom had been racing for nearly a month, winning almost every race he was in, including one the night before.

Dom didn't even look up from the engine of the car he was working on, but Mia and Leon both came out of the office, looking surprised.

"What did you say, Letty?" Mia asked, and I could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"I said, I'm going to race," I repeated.

"Letty, girls don't race," Leon said, frowning at me.

"You mean the other girls don't race," I corrected him. "And since when have I ever given a damn about how the other girls act, what they do or don't do?"

"Okay, fine. Other girls don't race."

"No, other girls go to the races and dress like whores to try to make themselves look more interesting than the cars, so they can get the attention of some fucking asshole who'll let them suck his dick, 'cause that's all they're good for anyways."

"Hey now, Letty," Mia said, her voice rising. "Watch it. **I'm** one of those other girls who go to the races."

"Oh," I replied abruptly, taken aback. "Well, of course I didn't mean you do that, Mia. You're different."

"How're you going to race when you don't have a car?" Dom asked quietly, changing the subject.

"Yeah, well you didn't have a car either, at first, and you're racing," I reminded him.

"That was different, Letty," Leon broke in.

"Was it? You tell me, Leon. How the fuck was it different for Dom? 'Cause he's a guy? Bullshit. That's just fucking bullshit and you know it."

"Not because he's a guy, Letty," Leon protested, exasperated. "Because he had money."

"And what makes you think I don't?" I demanded.

"You got twenty thousand dollars laying around you just haven't told anyone about?"

"Well, no," I said, deflating a little. "But I could get it."

"How?" Mia asked, her eyes narrowing. "There's no way in hell a fifteen year old could get that kind of cash, not doing anything legal."

"What the fuck do you care how I do it? You don't even think I could. Just you wait. It'll happen."

"You don't even drive," Dom said, his voice just as quiet as it had been before.

I actually snorted in disbelief. "How fucking stupid are you, Dom? You think you're the only one your dad ever taught to drive? You think I could be around cars my whole entire fucking life and not know how to drive?"

"Knowing how ain't the same as doing, and driving ain't the same as racing," he replied slowly, as if he were talking to a little kid who wasn't all that smart.

"So you think the little girl can't race, huh Dom? It's either be the slutty skanky whore who chases after the boys with the pretty cars or be nothing at all, is it? Well fuck you then! You should've just left me with Sly. At least I always knew what to expect from him." And with that, I stormed out of the building, slamming the door behind me.

I didn't go far, though. Didn't feel like going home and didn't have anywhere else to go. Sitting on the ground underneath a window, I could hear the three of them inside.

"What the fuck was **that** about?" Leon wondered aloud.

"I have no clue," Mia answered.

Dom didn't say a word.


	17. Julie Tran

"You gonna stick by me?

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

There have been three times in my life where I've thought that I'd lost Letty, maybe forever. The first was when I was in jail and realized that no one knew where she was. The second was when she thought I'd been fucking Julie Tran again.

Julie and I had…something, before I went to jail. An understanding, I guess. When I was horny, I'd find her, and we'd fuck, or she'd blow me. I'm not really sure what she got out of the whole deal. To be seen with me at the races, I guess. This was before I got banned from the track, and everyone thought I'd race on the pro circuit someday, become a famous driver.

I didn't hear anything from Julie after I got arrested. Never expected to see her again, not even after I got out. But then, one night at the street races, there she was.

"Hey Dom, it's been a while," she purred as she walked up to me and my car. No one else was around, the others were walking around looking at the rest of the cars there. Normally I would have gone with them, but I was really tired that day. We'd had a shitload of work to do at the garage, and I had almost decided not to go to the race at all, but I needed the money.

"Julie," I said, wondering what she wanted. I should have known it was just more of the same old shit.

"So, you're racing again, like old times, huh?" she asked, looking up at me and pouting. I guess she was trying to look sexy, but I just thought she looked fake.

"Yep," I answered, already bored with her.

"So when are we going to be like old times again, Dom?"

"What?" I asked. I hadn't really been paying attention to her, I was looking around for Letty.

When I turned back to face Julie, she'd unbuttoned her shirt and moved closer to me so she was standing practically right on top of me.

"You heard me, Dom," she said. "When are we going to hook up again? I've missed you."

"Ugh," I muttered to myself, trying to figure out how to get away from Julie as quickly as possible. "Never?"

"What?" she said, looking at me like I'd just slapped her across the face. "You trying to tell me you don't want this?" she asked as she pressed her hand to her chest.

"Yes, Julie, that's exactly what I'm telling you."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Dom? Word is, you ain't got no one. You go gay or something? Somebody turn you into their bitch while you were in prison? Decide you like **giving** blow jobs better than getting them?"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear out there on the street, Jules," I laughed. "I have someone. And she's a million times better than you could ever dream of being."

"You're a fucking asshole, Dom, you know that?" she yelled, suddenly pulling my hand to her bare tit. "I want you to remember this moment, 'cause you're never going to have a shot at this again."

"Like I would ever want it," I laughed, pushing her away from me. "When did you get so fucking desperate, Julie?"

"Whatever, Dom," she snapped at me before walking off, her shirt still hanging open.

I just stood there laughing to myself, wondering what the fuck I ever saw in Julie, until I heard her talking to someone.

"Hey, do me a favor," Julie said, her voice shrill, "tell Dom's new girl to learn how to give better head, so he won't have to go looking for it elsewhere."

I turned, locked eyes with Letty for a second, and then she ran as Julie's laughter filled the air.

"Oh," she said, still laughing, "That wouldn't have been your new girl, would it, Dom? Whoops, my bad. She looks a little young, though…"

"Stay the fuck away from me, Julie," I growled as I pushed past her to go find Letty and try to explain.


	18. Don't Share Well

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

I sat outside the garage for maybe twenty minutes, maybe an hour, just staring at the ground. Eventually, I felt someone sit down next to me, but I didn't look up. I knew who it would be.

"Took you long enough," I said, wearily.

"Yeah, well…" he trailed off. "I was trying to figure out what to say to get you to believe me."

"You don't have to say anything, Dom," I sighed.

"I don't?"

"Nah… We don't owe each other anything, right? I mean…what are a few kisses here and there. Doesn't make me your g…" I interrupted myself, determined not to let him think I ever saw myself as his. "Doesn't mean anything."

"Yes, it does," he insisted, reaching over to grab my hand. "It means… You mean a lot, Letty. Everything, maybe. Nothing happened with Julie, I swear. Yeah, we used to have a thing back in high school, but it was over years ago, even before I went to jail. She never meant anything to me. She's nothing that I want anymore."

"So what **do** you want, Dom?" I asked, hesitantly.

"I want you," he softly replied, looking at me. "Just you."

"I think I can live with that," I said, smiling.

"So, have you told Leon or Mia about this?" Dom asked, pulling me closer to him, running his hand down the side of my face.

"This?" I questioned.

"Us…"

"No, not really," I replied, looking up at him. "Have you?"

"No, not really."

"So what exactly is this, anyways, Dom?" I asked, curious.

"I don't know," he answered after a few minutes, taking my hand and pulling me into his lap. "Do we have to give it a name? Can't we just let it be what it is?"

"Yeah," I murmured as I leaned in to kiss him. "Yeah, we can. But, just to let you know, I'm going to have to beat the shit out of any girl I see coming on to you. I don't share well."

"Yeah, well, same goes for me."

"Oh, yeah," I said sarcastically. "'Cause, you know, there are just **so** many guys lusting after me. I'm sure you'll have to work real hard to keep me safe from all of them."

Dom just laughed.

Moving around to get comfortable, I finally just turned to face him. "Much better," I sighed to myself, before leaning in to kiss him again as he wrapped his arms around me.

We sat there for what seemed like an eternity, kissing until I thought I might die if I couldn't get closer to him. Unbuttoning his coveralls, I ran my hands across his bare chest, down his stomach…

"Letty," he groaned, pushing me away a little. "This isn't…this isn't right."

"What?" I asked, shocked, pulling back a little to look him in the eyes.

"If we keep this up, pretty soon I'm not going to be able to stop," he said softly.

"So?"

"So I don't want to just fuck you here, right outside the garage, lying in the dirt. You deserve better than that."

"Well what if I want to just be fucked out here, in the dirt?" I demanded, breathless.

"Damn, Letty, you're going to kill me, you know that?" he muttered, reaching forward to caress my tits, stroking his thumbs over my nipples.

Just then a car pulled up to the garage, its headlights sweeping across the wall above us. I hadn't even noticed it getting dark.

Recognizing the car, I pushed Dom's hands away from me. "Shit, that's my aunt. I almost forgot she was coming to get me today," I said hurriedly, running a hand through my hair in an attempt to calm myself down and stop the fire that was raging through my body.

"You're leaving?" Dom asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "She wanted to spend some time, just the two of us, since it's my birthday this week and all."

"Oh?" he asked, looking at me slyly. "Your birthday really this week?"

"Yep, Tuesday," I said, turning my head to look at him out of the corner of my eye. "You knew that, didn't you?"

"No, I had no idea, I swear," he said, laughing. "So…what do you want?"

"Want?" I asked, confused.

"You know…for your birthday."

"Oh." I thought about it for a little while before answering, turning to make sure my aunt couldn't see us before reaching back inside his coveralls. My fingers lightly circled his nipple before slowly dragging down his chest, coming to a stop just underneath the waistband of his boxers. Leaning my head to his neck, I slowly licked my way from his collarbone to his ear. "You," I whispered as I slowly brought my hand down further, lightly running my nails along the length of his dick. "I just want you."

Finally I pulled back, sliding off of his lap, lightly slapping his hand away as he reached after me.

"Be good, Dom," I called over my shoulder as I walked away. "I'll be back Tuesday."

"Tuesday?" I could hear him groan as I got into the car.


	19. Holding On to You

The next three days were almost pure torture. I mean, yeah, it was great to be able to spend some time with my aunt. I barely ever talked to her anymore, it seemed. She was busy with work, and I was busy with school and the garage… And well, there's not really any good excuse for falling out of touch with people, especially the ones you love, but it just kind of happens, you know? So it was nice to be able to just hang out with her again. As soon as we got to her place, it was almost like I'd never left. But, at the same time, I couldn't wait to get back to Leon's. Well, back to the garage. And Dom. Everything reminded me of him, from a commercial for Penzoil to the vague scent of gas and oil in my aunt's garage to any song that I heard on the radio. Even things that shouldn't have made me think of him at all, did.

Finally, Sunday night, I called Dom. I couldn't quite believe I was doing it, but I couldn't help myself either. I thought I might go crazy if I couldn't hear his voice. Actually, I wasn't even expecting him to be home. I just wanted to listen to his voice on the answering machine - that would have been enough.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice rough and gravelly as my breath caught in my throat. "Hello? Letty?"

"Hey, Dom," I finally answered, a little confused. "How'd you know it was me?"

"I don't know…I just did. I know how you breathe or something, I guess. Plus, I've been hoping you'd call. I've missed you," he replied, his voice low and husky.

"Yeah?" I asked, smiling. "I didn't really think you'd be home."

"Nah, I'm getting ready for bed," he replied. "Lots of work at the garage tomorrow. Plus, the more I sleep, the sooner it'll be Tuesday and I can see you again."

"Ah…" was all I could say, thinking of Dom in bed.

"So why'd you call if you thought I wasn't going to be here? You calling for Mia or something?" he finally asked, laughing.

"Well," I said shyly, "I just missed you. My aunt went to evening mass, so I'm here by myself. I guess…I just wanted to hear your voice before I went to sleep, so I could dream about you."

"Mmm, I see," he sighed, and we were quiet for a minute.

"But…since you're home, maybe I can make my dreams even better," I said, laughing. "So…what're you wearing?"

"Damn, Letty," he groaned. "You really are going to kill me, you know that?"

"Yeah, you've said that before… So, you gonna answer me?"

"I'm wearing," he paused, "boxers. Same thing I always wear to bed."

"That all?" I purred, picturing his naked chest.

"Yep."

"I like…"

"Yeah?" he asked, and I could hear his smirk. "So glad you approve. Now…what are you wearing?"

"Hmm," I wondered aloud. "Should I tell you?"

"If you don't, I'm going to have to drive over to your aunt's right now and see for myself…" he said, nearly growling at me.

"Well, as much as I like the sound of that, I don't think my aunt would be too happy if she got home and found you here. So…just a t-shirt. Yours, actually. You know that black one you were looking for the other day, to wash? I kind of…borrowed it."

"You took my shirt?" he asked, laughing. "Do you know how long I spent looking for that thing? Thought I was losing my mind…"

"It smells like you," I explained.

"And that's a good thing?"

"A very good thing…I love how you smell. Clean, you know, like soap…but with an overlay of burnt oil, or something. A little salty. I can't really describe it, but it's the best smell in the world…all manly…"

"Yeah…well, I feel all manly around you. Like an old man," he sighed.

"Old?" I protested. "Oh, please, Dom. You're only twenty! That's hardly old…"

"It is when your girl isn't even sixteen yet…"

"Dom…I'm turning sixteen in two days!"

"Still…five years…it's a long time, you know. Sometimes I think I'm way too old for you," he sighed. "You're so young, still, you should be dating, and having fun, and free to be with any guy you want, for however long you want to be with him. And I've done all that all ready…been wild and crazy and all."

"Yeah, tell me about it," I said wryly, thinking of all the girls I'd seen him with when he was in high school, and how much I'd hated them. "And, you know, it's only four-and-a-half years between us."

"It's still a long time, Letty. And I just…I don't think… No, actually, I know… I'm not interested in some short-term fling. I want you around for a long time, forever maybe. And I don't think I could handle it if tomorrow or next month or three years from now you see some guy and think 'I wish I weren't with Dom so I could be with that guy for a while'. I don't want you to regret being with me, not ever."

"You really don't have any kind of a clue about me at all, do you Dom?" I asked, feeling tears start to well up in my eyes. "Don't you know what you are to me? Can't you tell, by now? I… Shit, this makes me feel pathetic. But… Do you know how long I've loved you? Do you have any idea? Five years, Dom. Five years, and I've never once been at all interested in any other guys…"

"You love me?" he asked quietly, interrupting me.

"Yeah," I replied, laughing a little. "Yeah, I do. I have. And you never even knew. Dominic Toretto, I've loved you since I was eleven years old. And maybe you think an eleven year old doesn't know what love is, but I knew... The first time I went to the races with you and your dad, I was terrified. I didn't like being around strangers, I didn't know what to expect, and I was as scared as I ever have been in my entire life. And I remember, you were walking maybe five paces ahead of me and I had to practically run to keep up with you. And even though you acted like you didn't want to be seen with me, you kept looking back to make sure I didn't get lost. And when we got down to the track, you stopped, waited for me to catch up to you, grabbed my hand and pulled me over the railing so we could go talk to your dad. Now, probably you were just trying to keep tabs on the little kid, knowing your dad would kill you if anything happened to me. But you didn't let go of my hand as we walked over to the cars. You held onto me, and ever since then, I've been holding on to you."

"Letty," he said softly, but I couldn't stop myself.

"So, I'm not going to let you out of this now. I'm not going to let you give up on us before we even really get started, because you're scared I might leave you someday, or because you're worried about what other people will think. I've been here five years, Dom. Right here. I'm not leaving, I'm not going anywhere, I wouldn't even think about it for a second. It's you, or it's nothing for me. That's just how it is, how it's always been."

"I love you too, Letty," he said, simply.

"So," I said after a minute, when his words had sunk in. "You won't give up on me? On us? On this thing we have…whatever it is?"

"You know, I don't think I could, now. I wouldn't even know how to start letting you go."

"God, you don't even know how much I wish you were over here right now," I muttered, not even realizing I'd spoken aloud.

"Oh yeah, little girl?" Dom replied, the flirting smirk back in his voice. "And why is that?"

"Well, I figure we could start where we left off on Friday…"

"You do, huh?"

"Yeah…that was…nice… I liked touching you."

"Mmm," Dom murmured. "I liked you touching me. But," he laughed, lowly, "next time you decide you want to do something like that, could you not leave me lying in the dirt outside the garage?"

"What's the matter, Dom?" I asked, playfully. "Don't you like getting dirty?"

"Dirty I have no problem with," he replied. "It's my girl leaving me alone and so turned on that I can barely move for an hour that I don't like so much."

"Yeah? Really? I turned you on that much, huh?"

"Yeah…really."

"So…what else do you like?" I asked, curious.

"What else do I like?" Dom echoed, sounding confused.

"You know, like, that kind of stuff…just so I know… I mean, I've never really… Well, I mean I've heard things, of course, but I've never really actually done…" I could feel myself blushing and hoped it didn't show in my voice.

"Oh…I see…" Dom replied. "Well…you want to know what I like done to me, or what I like to do?"

"Uhm…" I stammered, "What you like done to you, first, I guess…"

"Well," he started, pausing just long enough to make me think maybe he wasn't going to answer at all. "I like when my girl's assertive, makes the first move, lets me know she wants me without making it obvious to everyone else. I want a girl who doesn't care if other people know she's with me or not, all that matters is the two of us know how we feel about each other. I like being kissed, long and hard, until I forget to breathe, I can't even think anymore. I like to be licked…I love the feel of a tongue against my skin. Anywhere is good, but especially my neck, my ears, my chest and my dick. I like some teasing - light touches until I think I'll go insane. I like a bit of teeth and nails. Not enough to be painful, but enough so I can feel it."

"You've been with lots of girls, haven't you?" I asked, feeling more than just a little inadequate.

"No, not really all that many," he answered, softly. "I mean, yeah, I've been around a bit…gotten the attention from the girls and all. Hell, sometimes I thought they'd kill each other for the chance to be with me. But no one ever really was exactly what I was looking for, you know? I was always left wanting…something."

"Even with that Julie girl?"

"Especially with Julie," he laughed.

"Why? She's pretty…" I said, doubtfully.

"Pretty, yeah, sure… But Julie never really cared about me at all. She only wanted to be seen with me 'cause it would raise her own rep...or maybe 'cause she was trying to piss off her brother. Most I usually got from her was fifteen minutes in the back of a car, if I was lucky. But…why are we talking about Julie?"

"Okay, okay… So…what do you like to do? To girls, I mean?"

"Mmm," he growled softly. "Well, I'm definitely a breast man. So…yeah…anything that has to do with looking at or touching a tit, I like. But I really love having a girl sitting in my lap with her legs wrapped around me, and just burying my face in her chest…breathing in her scent."

"Oh," I said, looking down at my own tits. "You probably like them big, huh?"

"Nah…not really. Just…normal sized, you know. Like yours."

"Yeah?"

"Yep…yours are just about perfect, I think," he said, laughing a little.

"Really? I always thought they were too small…I mean, for guys to like…"

"Well…I'll have to experiment some, but from what I've seen so far, they're just right for me."

"Experiment, huh?" I asked, huskily. "You promise?"

"Promise," he laughed. "So…what do **you** like, little girl?"

"Well…I liked how you taste. I wondered if you tasted like that everywhere, or just your neck…"

Before I could continue, I heard my aunt's car pull up in the driveway, the door slamming. "I have to go Dom, my aunt just got home," I said hurriedly into the phone.

"Okay," Dom said, laughing a little. "One of these days, though…sometime soon…we're going to continue this conversation somewhere where we won't be interrupted. Sleep well, Letty. Dream of me."

"I always do," I whispered before hanging up just as my aunt walked down the hallway.


	20. To See a Man About a Car

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"C'mon man, get your ass out of bed, let's go," I called out early Monday morning, leaning through the door to Leon's room.

"Dom," he groaned at me, not even opening his eyes. "What time is it, and what the fuck are you doing in my house?"

"I gotta go see a man about a car, and you are going to take me over to his place of business."

"A car?" he asked, reaching up to run a hand over his face. "Don't we have a garage full of those already?"

"This one's special, man," I replied, laughing. I couldn't help but think of Letty. Only thing that would ever make you think she and Leon were related was their attitude toward the morning. Never could manage to get Leon into the garage before ten a.m., and he always complained that even that was too damn early to be out of bed. I think Leon would sleep till noon everyday, if he could. Letty was the same way, except she **had** to get up, for school.

"Special," he groaned, finally opening his eyes. "Yeah, it'd better be pretty fucking special for you to drag me out of my fucking bed at eight in the fucking morning."

Leon didn't say anything else until we got to where we were going, but he kept looking at me out of the corner of his eye, like I'd suddenly turned into a creature from outer space or some shit like that. Although, maybe it seemed like I had. I remember I couldn't stop smiling the entire way over to this garage. I just kept thinking how perfect the next day was going to be. Everything in my life was finally coming together how I wanted. At least I thought it was.

"Dom," he said as we pulled into the drive of Johnny Tran's garage. "What the fuck are we doing here?"

"I told you already, Leon…I need to see a man about a car. That man just happens to be Johnny Tran."

Leon just sighed, looked up at the ceiling of the car before muttering to himself, or maybe praying, "Can we **please** not start brawling this early in the morning? It's just wrong."

I knew Johnny from the races, just like I knew his sister Julie. Rich kids, their dad was the vice president of some company. I never really figured out why Johnny got involved in cars and racing. I guess he thought it would make him look like a bad ass or something. I remember Johnny from when he was sixteen…short, scrawny little Asian punk trying to act like he was Bruce Lee or some shit like that, decided that fucking around with guns and cars would get him some respect. It didn't…not then, at least. He was the laughing stock of the racing scene, the rich kid who didn't know what the hell he was doing but who everyone tolerated 'cause they never got tired of taking his money.

Eventually, Johnny learned how to race right, mostly by pouring money into his car. And he finally got some respect by figuring out that if you do enough crazy shit, people will start leaving you alone. He and his cousin Lance would go out, just for kicks, shoot up some cars, threaten anyone they thought had disrespected them on the streets…catch them alone, drag them to some deserted place and beat the shit out of them, pour gas on them and then play with matches. I think after a while, he started liking it...got off on being known as a sick psycho fuck. Johnny and Lance were basically cowards, though. They never went anywhere without their guns. I always thought of it like this…if you need a gun to back yourself up, you're not a real man.

Kind of ironic that Johnny'd been pulling shit like that for years with nothing happening to him and yet, I beat up one guy and get sent to jail for two years. Oh well…I guess that's what happens when you have a rich daddy to keep you out of trouble. Or what happens when you hurt someone who's not scared to go to the cops afterwards.

Johnny fought almost everyone in the racing world, earning respect by intimidation. But for some reason he never tried to go after me, not even when I started fucking around with his sister. Generally I just avoided him, but now, he had something I wanted.

"This way," I told Leon as we got out of his car and walked into the garage's office.

"Dom," Johnny said, barely acknowledging me.

"Hey Johnny," I replied. "You got the keys and slip for me?"

"Yeah, yeah…don't know what you want with this car anyways."

"Now, Johnny," I said slowly. "Come on. You gonna be like that? We raced for slips, and you lost. Now, if you want me to take your car instead of this one, hey, I won't argue. I was just trying to do you a favor, since we're old friends and all and I've been looking for a car like this for a while now."

"Whatever, Toretto," was all Johnny said as he handed me the keys and the pink slip.

"Nice doing business with you, Johnny. Be seeing you at the races, huh?" I said as Leon and I went outside to collect the car.

"A 240-SX, Dom?" Leon asked when he saw it.

"Let's just get out of here already, Leon," I replied, knowing what he was thinking. "We can talk when we get home."

I remember dreading getting back to Leon's garage. That day was probably the only time in my life I've been grateful for LA traffic. I just knew Leon was gonna ask what I was planning on doing with the car. And, I was right.

Leon was already inside when I got back, working on one of the cars. He didn't even look up when I came in, just started talking.

"What the fuck are you doing with a 240-SX, Dom? And getting it from Johnny Tran?" he asked. "I know there's no way in hell you want that car for yourself, and I damn well hope we didn't go over to Tran's this morning just 'cause you thought it would be fun to drag me out of bed and see if maybe we could get killed today."

"It's for Letty," I replied slowly. "For her birthday."

"Oh, I see…for Letty's birthday. Right. And how much did it cost you?"

"Didn't cost me anything. I've been thinking about buying her one for a while, just didn't find any I liked. But then I heard Johnny Tran had this car just sitting over at his place. Knew he'd try to charge me triple the value of it, didn't really feel like putting up with his bullshit, so I raced him for slips the other night, and won. Told him I'd take this car instead of his. Plus a few grand, call us even."

Finally, Leon looked over at me, disbelieving. "So…you could've lost your car over this. The one you've been working on for months, pouring all of your money into… All to get Letty a present for her birthday? Forget that this 'present' would've cost you at least fifteen grand if you actually bought it…"

"I wanted to do something nice for her. She's a good kid, she's been a good friend," was all I could say.

"A good kid…right," Leon drawled. "Sure. And you really expect me to believe you went to all this trouble for just a kid, just a friend? Shit, dawg, you think no one can see how bad she's got you whipped?"

"Whipped? You should talk, man," I muttered. "'Cause I seem to remember you getting a new car for Amber not too long ago…"

"Quit trying to change the subject, Dom. We're not talking about me and Amber, we're talking about you and Letty. Your 'friend' Letty."

"Well…maybe she's more…" I admitted, hesitantly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Leon retorted. "Not exactly what I had in mind when I asked you to help me look out for her, you know."

"Not exactly what I had in mind either," I tried to explain. "But Letty…she just feels right. Like I need her. I tried to stay away…believe me. It just didn't work."

"Well," Leon finally said minutes later. "I guess I can understand that. And there are worse guys out there she could be with... But, if you hurt her, I'm going to have to fucking kill you." And with that, he threw a dirty rag at me and went back to working on the car's engine.


	21. Girly

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Come on Letty, let's go," my aunt called out early Monday morning, leaning through the door to my room.

"What…" I moaned, rolling over to look at her, still not sure of what, when, where, or who I was.

"You heard me," she replied, laughing. "Get up, lazy! We're going shopping."

"Shopping?" I asked, groaning.

"Yes, shopping. You need some new clothes; you can't keep wearing Leon's old hand-me-downs. Besides, you're sixteen now, and it's about time you had some things that will make you look like a girl."

"I **do** have girly clothes," I protested, continuing the thought to myself, "somewhere…in the back of a closet…at my mom's house…where I'll hopefully never see them again."

"Oh, don't even think about trying to get out of this," my aunt laughed. "Now, get out of bed and get dressed so we can go!"

"I'm going, I'm going," I sighed. "And here I thought I was going to get to sleep in, for once…"

"Letty, it's eight-thirty. You did get to sleep in! Normally you'd be in school now, right? So stop complaining! Now, I'll be back to check on you in fifteen minutes. You'd better be dressed by then!"

After my aunt left the room I just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling for five minutes. Shopping. God, what a waste of time. Why spend all that time and energy looking for something to wear when it just gets dirty?

Shopping with my aunt turned out not to suck as much as I thought it would, though. She didn't try to force me into getting girly shit, even though she wouldn't let me shop in the guys' department. We just wandered through the clearance racks at Macy's for hours, picking up jeans, tank tops, some sheer tops that I think were originally supposed to have something go underneath them, a couple pairs of nicer black pants, some sweaters… I almost couldn't carry all of it out of the dressing room up to the cash register.

Walking through the mall on the way back to the car, I could've sworn we were done for the day. But then, my aunt pulled me into Victoria's Secret. I couldn't believe it.

"What are we doing in here?" I asked her.

"Well, every girl ought to have some pretty underwear…even if she's the only one who ever sees it," my aunt replied. "And," she continued, "Letty, you had **better** be the only one seeing this stuff for a while. Like, for years. Until you're twenty-five, at least. Maybe thirty."

I pretended I hadn't heard her, just wandered off to start looking around. But I couldn't help thinking of Dom as I looked through the racks, picking up various things. Most of what I ended up with was just practical stuff…racer-back bras so the straps wouldn't get in my way while I was working on cars, basic colors. But I got some pretty things, too. Sheer, lacy, you name it. And lots of cute little thongs…solids, patterns. It's funny, you know…the less material there actually is in a pair of underwear, the more it costs. My aunt insisted, though.

I couldn't believe how tired I was when we finally got back to my aunt's place that night. Who knew shopping could take so much energy? And so much time? It had actually been kind of fun, though. Better than just hanging around at the house watching the clock tick waiting for Tuesday afternoon to come, at least.

I thought I was going to get to sleep in Tuesday, before I had to go over to the DMV to take my driving test, but I was wrong about that, too. My aunt hauled me out of bed at nine am, then made me change like three times before she was satisfied with what I was wearing. I felt like a fucking Barbie doll by the time we left the house, I swear.

And as if the clothes weren't enough, my aunt dragged me to the salon, too.

"We're going to see Clarice," she announced after we'd gotten into the car and I had nowhere to hide.

Clarice is my aunt's best friend. They've known each other forever - since they were in kindergarten. She's Leon's godmother, even. And, ever since she graduated from high school, Clarice has had a chair at this salon, Designs by Gloria. I don't know who Gloria is supposed to be, the owner's name is Jorge. But, every time I saw Clarice - which was just about every weekend when she'd come over to my aunt's place after mass - she'd play with my hair and complain that I never let her do anything fancy with it.

I don't know, for some reason I've never really been into the whole hair and makeup thing. Even when I was little, I hated it when my mom tried to play with my hair. Maybe 'cause she was usually drunk when she did it and ended up ripping huge chunks of hair out of my head… And then, when I started hanging around the Toretto house and helping out with the cars, all that mattered was keeping my hair out of my face. I actually cut it myself one time, when I was about eleven. Got sick of it always being tangled, always being in the way. Huge mistake. My mom was pissed, wouldn't take me anywhere to get it fixed or anything. I remember, she said she wasn't about to waste any of her money on my stupidity. And I'd managed to cut it so it was all different lengths. So parts of it were long enough to be in the way all the time, but none of it was long enough to put up in a ponytail or anything. Mia fixed it up for me a little bit, but I still looked completely ridiculous for almost six months, until it grew out a few inches. I wore my hair up just about every day after that. After I started living with my aunt, I got a little more into the whole beauty thing. Not like I spent hours in the bathroom staring at myself in the mirror all of a sudden or anything. But I kind of liked having Clarice mess with my hair, looked forward to her coming over. I hadn't seen her in a while, though, since I went to live with Leon.

So, it wasn't like I minded going to see Clarice, even though I didn't really like the atmosphere at the salon she worked at. People all staring at you and shit. Ugh. I hate that. And that day wasn't any different, in terms of people staring at me. Actually, it was worse. Clarice had somehow gotten the idea into her head that since I'd started living with Leon and was in the garage all the time I must be neglecting my hair. She must've spent at least twenty minutes reading me the riot act about how my hair was getting all dried out and I needed to spend more time, take better care of it or it was going to start falling out of my head and I'd be bald before I hit eighteen. Then I had to sit there and try to figure out ways I could just disappear while everyone in the salon stared at me. Clarice does **not** have a quiet voice. I didn't say anything while she washed my hair, then put some hot oil deep conditioning shit on it, but I had to protest when she brought out the scissors.

"Clarice, come on," I said, trying to pull away from her. "You just trimmed my hair like three months ago. What d'you think you're doing with those things?"

"Yeah, well, your hair looks like it hasn't been trimmed in years, all these split ends. What the hell have you been doing to it, anyways? Using it as a dip stick?"

"Uhm…" I mumbled, trying to sound convincingly innocent, remembering a day the week before when Leon had accidentally spilled some motor oil all over me - including my hair. I had to wash it like twenty times just to get the smell out…

"Never mind, don't answer that…I don't want to know," Clarice sighed. "Don't worry, you'll still be able to put it up off your face," was all she'd say as she started snipping away.

I almost couldn't bring myself to look in the mirror when she was done drying and curling my hair. It turned out to not be so bad, though. She'd cut the front part a little, given me these little wispy pieces that just brushed my chin, and trimmed maybe an inch off of the rest of it. She curled the ends a little, and it actually looked pretty good, even though I never quite got the point of curling hair that was all ready curly to begin with.

The torture didn't end with just the hair, though. When Clarice asked what I was planning on doing for my birthday, I made the mistake of telling her I was going for my driving test. When she found out I was going to the DMV, she insisted on putting some makeup on me, too.

"Honey," she said, laughing when I tried to pull away from her, "the lighting at that place is enough to make **anyone** look completely horrid. I know you don't really need any makeup to look good, and I know you don't like it…but unless you want to look as pale as your aunt when they take your picture and then have to carry that thing around for at least the next five years…"

I had to laugh at that. My aunt is white. Like, as pale as you can possibly be without your skin being completely transparent. Like, if she were a heroin addict she'd never have any trouble finding a vein to stick a needle into. She never gets tanned either, no matter how much time she spends out in the sun. Just turns a little pink. I don't think there's any way in the world I could look like her. We do have the same eyes, though.

"God," Clarice exclaimed as she peered at my face. "If I had your skin, Letty, I swear I'd be married to a millionaire by now."

"Yeah, right," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Sure, Clarice, whatever."

"Let's see," she muttered to herself, turning to her makeup case, rejecting one thing after another. "Too dark…too bright…too green…ugh…**why** do I still have this? It's so 1987. God…where is that blusher? I put it right here, I know I did… Jorge, did you take my Delusion Coloring Stick again?" she called out, glaring over towards the front desk. "'Cause if you did, I swear to God I'm gonna kick your happy little gay ass from here to Kansas so you can go play with the rest of Dorothy's friends…"

"Oh God," I cringed. "Tell me she is not going to put the same stuff on me that Jorge uses. As fabulous as he is, I really, really, really don't want to look like a fifty year old drag queen…"


	22. You Look Good

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Holy shit," was all I could think when Letty walked into the garage Tuesday afternoon. Her hair was down, curled a little bit around her shoulders. She was wearing a little white top that showed off her tits, a short black skirt that hit about five inches above her knees, and black boots. Looking back up to her face, I noticed a slight shimmer to her lips and eyes. "Makeup too?" I thought to myself, amazed. I'd never seen Letty looking like this before, all dolled up.

"Damn, baby," I purred, walking up to her. "What happened to you?"

"My aunt happened," she groaned, looking down at her feet. "With a little help from Clarice."

"Clarice?" I questioned.

"My aunt's best friend," she explained. "Also known as the lady who does my aunt's hair and lives to torture me with various beauty products. The two of them decided, since it's my birthday and all, that I ought to look like a girl instead of a car mechanic… So first my aunt took me shopping yesterday, and then she drug me to the salon this morning. I look ridiculous, don't I?"

"Remind me to thank your aunt, next time I see her," I murmured, circling around Letty. "Ridiculous? Not at all. You look good. Damn good…"

"Really?" she asked, finally looking at me.

"Yeah," I said softly, reaching up to brush a stray piece of hair away from her face. "Not quite as sexy as the grease-stained coveralls. But I'm gonna have my work cut out for me tonight, keeping all the guys away from you…"

"Guys?" Letty asked, a panicked tone to her voice. "Keeping guys away? Dom…what are you talking about? I thought we were all just going to hang out here tonight. What do you have planned? You really want me to go **out** looking like this??"

"You'll see," was all I said before taking her by the hand and leading her out to my car. "Here," I said, handing her the keys.

Letty just looked at me for half a second. "You're really going to let me drive? Your car? Dom, you been smoking crack or something?"

"Just don't let this be a repeat of the first time I saw you drive," I answered, laughing.

"Hey now, I was only eleven. And that was the first time I **ever** drove. I don't think I did too badly…"

"Yeah, I'm sure that work bench you clobbered wouldn't feel the same, though. And I'm pretty sure there's still a dent in the wall of the garage…"

"I couldn't reach the brake pedal!" she protested, smiling.

"Sure, sure," I smirked at her. "Just make sure you can reach in my car…I just finished putting that new aero kit in, I don't need any dents in my fenders."

"**Who** just finished putting the new aero kit in? I **know** you didn't just say you did…"

"Okay, okay, **we** just finished putting the aero kit in. Happy? Now…you gonna just stand out here arguing with me, or are you gonna drive?"

Truthfully, I was a little nervous about having Letty drive my car. I really hadn't seen her behind the wheel since that day when she was eleven and nearly took out one whole wall of our garage while she was pulling my dad's truck in. But after less than five minutes of being in the car with her, I knew I didn't have anything to worry about. The girl could drive. Hell, almost better than me. I just sat back and watched her, giving the occasional direction.

"Here it is, on the right up here," I finally said as we cruised down Sunset. "Just pull up to the valet."

"You're really gonna let some idiot valet guy park your car?" Letty asked, astonished.

"Well, now that I've let you drive it, might as well," I teased as she reached over to lightly swat my arm. "Nah, you're going to park it. See that spot? Right there, where the valet sign is? Park right there. Think you can do that?"

Letty just rolled her eyes at me. I was still laughing when I got out of the car, practically walked right into Jake, one of the bouncers.

"Dom," he said, a little too loudly, showing his surprise. "What are you doing over here?"

"I'm getting out of my car, Jake," I explained slowly.

"But…" he continued, as if he hadn't even heard me. "On this side? What are you doing getting out on this side of the car? Who's driving? You let someone drive your car? You never let **anyone** drive your car, not even when you drove that piece of crap back in high school…"

"And I'm not letting just anyone drive it now, Jake," I replied, laughing as Letty walked up to us. "This is my girl, Letty. Letty, this is Jake."

Jake just stood there with his mouth open as we walked past him.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Letty wondered aloud as we went inside.

"Well," I replied, still laughing, "first off, Jake's never seen me let anyone drive my car before. And second," I continued, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, "I'm sure this is the first time he's ever seen a girl as beautiful as you."

Letty just stared at me for a few minutes with a stunned look on her face, like no one had ever told her she was beautiful before. "You mean that?" she finally asked, softly.

"Mean what?"

"You…you think I'm beautiful?" she repeated, hesitantly.

Before I could answer her, Frankie walked up to us. "Hey, Dom, long time no see, man. What are you doing down here?"

"Frankie," I said, greeting him. "This is Letty. Letty, this is Frankie Maretto. The Caddy that was in the garage last week? His."

"Ah," Letty smiled, remembering the car. "Nice to meet you, Frankie. You really ought to take better care of that car, you know."

"Hey now," he protested, smiling back at her. "You think this club runs itself? I'm too busy to worry about the car. That's what I pay Dom for. Now, for real, Dom," he continued, looking over at me again. "What can I do for you tonight? You don't come around for months and then all of a sudden you show up? You trying to get me shut down or something? Or trying to get Jake fired for letting your underage ass in here during business hours? You still got six months before you're legal, don't think I don't remember that."

"Hey, Frankie," Letty said, interrupting him. "You got a bathroom in this place?"

"Hmm? Yeah, honey, of course… It's over there, in the corner," he replied, distractedly.

Letty looked at him for a few seconds, and I wondered if she'd go off on him for calling her 'honey', but she finally just walked off.

"So?" Frankie continued, not even noticing that Letty had left. "What's up?"

"I need a favor, man. See, it's Letty's birthday today…"


	23. So Romantic

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe..."

OoOoOoOoOo

It's funny, isn't it, that you can know someone for years, think you know every single thing about them, and they can still do things that just surprise the hell out of you. That's how Dom is…

When I was younger, I never would have thought of Dom as a romantic guy. He's got this tough, macho image and all the girls love him… But it's not like he **tries** to get attention from girls, and it's not even like he ever paid special attention to any one girl. What I realized when I turned sixteen was, when you have Dom's attention, when he decides that he loves you…it's like you're the only thing he sees. He doesn't usually show his feelings to the world, but he definitely lets you know how special you are to him.

I walked out of the bathroom that night in the club feeling more uncomfortable than I ever have in my entire life. I didn't fit in at that place, not at all. There weren't all that many people there, but I still felt like everyone was staring at me. I didn't like that. And I **definitely** didn't like it when some random guy grabbed my ass when I walked past him. "Dom'd better have a damn good reason for bringing me here," I remember thinking to myself as I looked around the club, trying to find him.

I finally spotted him over in a corner by the DJ booth, still talking to Frankie. Neither one of them seemed to notice me when I walked up, but Dom reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Are we ready to go yet?" I asked Dom when Frankie finally walked away.

"What…you're not having a good time?" Dom asked, smiling at me.

"Uhm…not exactly," I muttered.

"Oh," he said, sounding a little disappointed. "Well…maybe I can fix that," he continued, pulling me towards the dance floor.

Just then, the music in the club changed. I cocked my head at Dom as Nat King Cole's "The Very Thought of You" started playing. "What's going on, Dom?" I asked as he pulled me close, wrapped his arms around my waist and started swaying back and forth to the music.

"Well," he answered slowly, "the other day I heard you and Mia talking in the office at the garage. And you said you wanted to know what it would be like to dance with me…but you couldn't imagine me going to prom or anywhere else where we might get a chance to dance…"

"So you planned this?"

"Not exactly," Dom laughed. "I was thinking that I'd clean up a corner at the garage…maybe for Valentine's Day or something. Lay out a nice dinner…candlelight, flowers, all of that… And I'd dance with you all night then, if you wanted…"

"Mmm," I murmured, "sounds nice… So…what happened to change your mind?"

"You happened," he replied, smiling at me. "You walked into the garage tonight, and I couldn't wait till Valentine's Day to dance with you. Frankie owes me a few favors, so I figured I'd cash one in tonight."

"You're just…wow," was all I could say as I leaned against Dom, my head on his shoulder. "When the hell did you get so romantic?"


	24. In the Car

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

I wanted to stay there with Letty in my arms forever, just holding her to me. 'Course, I already knew that wasn't gonna happen. No way in hell Frankie would let us stick around when the club started getting busier. Not that I could really blame him. He'd had some problems with the cops before about letting minors in the club. Right before I went to jail there was some big thing where some guy went on a drunken rampage in the parking lot, pulled out a gun and shot this pregnant woman who'd been walking down the street, nearly killed her. Turned out the guy was only nineteen, and Frankie'd been letting him in the club on a regular basis, even though he knew the guy was underage. The club almost got shut down then, but somehow Frankie managed to keep it all together. Still, ever since then he'd been paranoid about making sure nothing like that happened again. He would've killed me if he'd known Letty was only sixteen.

Even concentrating on Letty and the way her body felt pressed up against mine, the silkiness of her skin, the subtle scent of her hair, I could feel Frankie watching us as the song ended, keeping track of where we were. I took Letty's hand, led her to the door, nodding a thanks at Frankie before we walked out.

"So," she asked, looking over at me, "what're you planning on doing with me now?"

"Well…I know what I'd **like** to do with you…" I said as I opened the car door for Letty. "But I think Leon would prolly kill me…"

"Oh," Letty replied looking a little confused. "Oh!" she repeated as I got into the car, as she finally figured out what I'd meant.

I couldn't help but laugh at her. Not many people see it, but Letty's this sort of strange mix between a tough street chick and a sweet innocent girl…at sixteen, she'd seen a hell of a lot, but not actually done that much. Even now, she's a lot more innocent than people would think. The toughness isn't an act, but it's not all there is to her, either. I always have loved that about her.

"Hey," she continued, reaching over to smack my arm lightly. "What makes you think Leon has any say in my sex life?"

"Who said anything about sex?" I teased. "How d'you know I wasn't wanting to go get you wasted, tattooed, maybe a few piercings… You know, as a birthday present."

"Yeah, sure Dom," Letty laughed. "That's **really** what you were thinking."

"Okay, so it wasn't. But we do need to get back to the garage… I'm surprised Mia hasn't called yet to see where the hell we are."

"Why?" Letty asked. "You guys have big plans for me or something?"

"Well, we **did**," I replied, laughing.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah…dinner, cake, presents, the whole thing. Hopefully they saved some food for us…"

"It's not **that** late, is it?" she questioned, leaning over to look at the clock, giving me a nice view down her shirt.

"Nah, not really," I replied, trying to pay attention to driving instead of her. "'Bout eight-thirty or so. But you know how Mia gets when she cooks…"

"Oh, shit," Letty exclaimed. "Mia cooked? Okay, we need to get home like **now**. 'Cause I do **not** want to be yelled at by Mia today…"

As anxious as she was to get home, Letty fell asleep about five minutes later. She didn't even wake up when I pulled up in front of the house. I just sat in the car and looked at her.

You know how people say that there are certain moments you wish time would just freeze and you could stay there forever? That moment in my car, watching Letty sleep, is one of those for me. The way her hair fell against her neck, the slight movements of her body, the quiet murmur of her breath… And then she stretched, opened her eyes, looked over at me… I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful in my life.

"So we gonna go in, or are we just gonna sit out here in the car all night?" Letty finally asked after a few minutes.


	25. From All of Us

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"What's this?" I asked Dom, looking at the package in his hands, wrapped in car ads from the newspaper.

"It's your birthday present," he replied, handing it to me. "From all of us."

"Oh, no," Mia immediately protested. "Leon and me had almost nothing to do with that. It's from Dom, don't let him tell you any different."

I was shocked when I opened the small package a found a key. A key that said Nissan on it.

"What is this, Dom?" I asked again, looking over at him.

"Oh, come on, Letty," Leon laughed from off to the side. "Don't even try to tell me you don't know what a car key looks like."

"Would you just shut up?" Mia shushed Leon, pulling him inside of the office.

"Dom," I continued, still shocked. "Is this really what I think it is?"

"Yeah," he said, smirking at me. "It is. You're lucky, too. Almost couldn't bring myself to spend the money on such a pathetic excuse for a car."

I knew he was just trying to provoke me, but I still almost couldn't help my response. "Dom," I laughed, warningly. "Don't make me have to hurt you…"

"Oh? You really think you could?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I bet I know a few things that would slow you down a bit."

"Hmm…" he practically purred, and I looked over towards the office, embarrassed, even though I was sure Leon and Mia couldn't hear him. "Now, might have to take you up on that. Sounds like it might be enjoyable."

"Are you two done yet?" Mia asked, poking her head out of the office.

"Yeah, is it safe to come out?" Leon chimed in. "Is the war over?"


	26. Crashing Down

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

After Letty's birthday, I thought my life was perfect. I had the job at Leon's garage, racing, I was in love with a girl who loved cars almost as much as she loved me… What more could I possibly want? Everything came crashing down soon enough, though.

One Friday towards the middle of March, there was a big race planned out in the desert. Five cars, each with a buy-in of five grand, winner take all. Should've been a big payday for me, but it turned out to be one of the worst days of my life.

The race was originally set for Saturday, but a few days before, one of the guys planning it called me up and told me they'd had to change it to Friday. He said the cops had found out about the race and were going to set up a sting operation, or something like that.

I felt nothing but good about this race. I was sure I'd be coming home about twenty-five thousand dollars richer. Hell, I'd practically spent the money already, thinking about what needed replacing on my car and on Letty's.

But, from the minute I pulled up to the meeting place, something felt wrong. There weren't enough people there, for such a big race. And it was too quiet… Things were just off.

I wasn't really worried, but I remember being glad that Letty wasn't with me. Leon and Amber had gone down to San Diego for the weekend, to have yet another "serious discussion" about their relationship, and I didn't really know any of the guys who were supposed to be at the race, so I hadn't wanted to bring the girls along. I didn't like leaving them alone while I raced. It wasn't really a big deal for Mia. Going to the races was always just something to do, for her. But Letty'd been furious when I said she couldn't go with me, refused to talk to me nearly all week. I give into her on so many things, but I wouldn't budge at all on this. I hadn't even told her about the day of the race being changed, just that I had some business I needed to take care of that night and I'd meet up with her at the garage when I got finished. Looking back on it all, I think I should've just brought Letty along. I should've realized that bad things always happen whenever she's not at the races with me.


	27. Hell to Pay

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Letty?? You here?? Where the fuck is everyone and why the fuck doesn't anyone answer the fucking phone around this goddamned place?" Dom roared as he walked into the garage. Well...walked isn't exactly the right word. Limped is more like it. Hobbled, maybe.

I was completely speechless when I saw him. His shirt was torn and dirty, there was blood running down the side of his face... He looked like he'd been drug along behind a car for a few hundred miles.

"Dom?" I finally managed to ask, walking up to him. "What the hell happened to you? Are you okay?"

He didn't say anything, just grabbed me up in his arms and squeezed me, and I was immediately reminded of that night when he was arrested.

"Is...is everyone okay?" I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted to hear the answer. "Leon and Amber? Nothing... Did something happen to them? Something bad?"

"I thought...God, I thought... I thought they were here..."

"Dom?" I asked again, wondering if I was supposed to have a clue what he was talking about. "You thought **who** was here? No one's come in all day...Mia just went over to the house to finish up some homework, but it's been just the two of us here all afternoon... Who did you think was here?"

"Lance...they said Lance was here..." he mumbled, and I had to lean in close to hear him. I remember thinking that I'd never seen Dom this upset before, not even when his dad died.

"Lance? Lance who? Johnny's cousin, Lance? Lance Nguyen? What the fuck would he be doing here?"

"They said he came here to hurt you, Letty... They said he was here, hurting you, and there was nothing I could do about it... They said Lance was hurting you to pay me back and that after they were done with me they were all going to come hurt you too... You're... You're okay? He didn't... No one hurt you, did they?"

"Dom...I'm fine!" I said, trying to get my words to sink in. "I'm fine, baby... No one hurt me, no one at all. Here," I continued, grabbing his hand and rubbing it along my face, "I'm fine, see? Now...what happened? Who did this to you?"

I finally got Dom to tell me what'd happened after he called the house to check on Mia. He'd calmed down, but he was still acting weird... We sat down on the old couch in the office, and he practically pulled me into his lap. Not that I minded. But it wasn't sexual at all, more like he just needed to reassure himself that I was actually there.

"Well," he started explaining as he stroked my hair. "You know that race that was supposed to be tomorrow? The other day, I got a call saying it'd been changed to tonight. Something with the cops coming around or some shit like that."

"Who called?" I asked, frowning. It wasn't like Dom to trust just anyone. And if one of his friends had sold him out... They were going to have hell to pay, just as soon as I found out who'd done it.

"I don't even know," he answered, slowly, like he didn't want to tell me. "Guy just said he was helping get the word out to everyone about the date change for the race. I didn't even think to ask what his name was. And before you say anything, yes, I know how dumb I was; and no, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking; and no, I'll never do anything like that again for the rest of my life."

"Better not, if this is where it gets you," I muttered under my breath. "Or I'll have to kick your ass myself..."

"Yeah, well...somehow I think I'd enjoy that more," Dom laughed, and I had to keep myself from wincing at the pained look that crossed his face.

I wanted to get up, so my weight wouldn't hurt him, but Dom wouldn't let go of me. His grip on me tightened, actually, pulling me closer to him as I tried to squirm out of his lap.

"No, baby...stay here," he whispered against my hair, so low I could barely hear him, wrapping his arms around me. "Stay here...stay with me. I need you...I need to feel you…"

"Okay, okay, I'm not going anywhere," I murmured, and he relaxed a little. "So," I continued after a few minutes of silence, "what happened then?"

"Well," he started, slowly, "there wasn't anyone around when I got out to where the race was supposed to be. A few cars parked here and there, but no one wandering around. Figured maybe I was early, or maybe they'd had to completely cancel the race and just hadn't been able to get a hold of me or something. Tried to call Hector, see if he knew what was going on, but I couldn't get through on my cell. So I got out of the car, to look around a bit..."

"Ugh," I groaned, thinking of every dumb horror movie where the girl does something incredibly stupid that you just **know** is gonna get her killed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Dom said softly. "Not the best idea I've ever had."

"No, not really," I replied, trying to resist the urge to smack him around some for sheer stupidity. I couldn't even imagine what Dom'd been thinking. Normally he was so careful, so aware of his surroundings.

"I walked up to a few of the cars, to see if the people in them knew what was going on. But they were all empty, like they'd just been abandoned out there. Perfectly good cars, too. Nothing wrong with them. Unlocked, even. It was just creepy. I started walking back towards my car, was gonna try to call Hector again. But before I got there, a whole group of cars pulled up. Figured it was just everyone finally showing up for the race, you know? But it turned out to be Johnny Tran and his whole crew. Well, his whole crew except for Lance. One of the cars pulled up right next to me, nearly hit me. Johnny jumped out, came after me with a bat. I managed to hold him off pretty well, but he hit me across the chest a few times, knocked the wind out of me a bit. Then, a couple of guys jumped on me, knocked me down to the ground. They held me down while Johnny just went...psychotic, almost. Kicking me, hitting me with the bat still... And all the time he was just screaming at me..."

"Screaming at you?" I asked, rubbing my hand along the side of Dom's face, absently trying to wipe away some of the blood. "What was he saying?"

"I don't even really know," Dom sighed. "He wasn't making any sense at all...screaming some shit about payback, and respect, and responsibility..."

"What the fuck?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dom laughed. "My thoughts exactly, at the time. And then he started saying shit about you...that Lance was over here hurting you...wondering if Lance was enjoying himself... I don't even want to think about the shit Johnny said Lance was doing to you..."

"I can take care of myself, you know, Dom," I said softly, trying to distract him. "You don't have to worry about me..."

"I know, I know," he replied, just looking up at me, and I thought I actually saw tears in his eyes. "You're the tough chick who can handle anything, take care of anyone who tries to come after her, right? I can't help it though, you know? I love you...I worry about you... I was so scared for you, baby... I could hear you screaming, in my mind, I could see Lance doing...things...to you..."

"Shh, I'm okay...everything's okay, Dom, I'm fine," I murmured, trying to reassure him.

"And then I don't know what happened, but Johnny decided he was finished with me or something," Dom continued, wrapping his arms around me. "Kicked me in the gut a few times and walked off...saying he hoped Lance had saved some of you for the rest of them... God, I wanted to kill him. But I could barely even move, let alone go after Johnny. I just laid there for maybe twenty minutes, maybe an hour or more. I don't know, maybe I even passed out or something. When I came to and the world stopped spinning, I drug myself back to the car. Johnny'd left it alone for some reason, I have no idea why...you know how much he likes to vandalize cars."

"Yeah," I muttered, thinking of all the cars we'd gotten into our shop after Johnny'd tried to destroy them. "Keeps us in business pretty well, doesn't he?"

"True," Dom said, laughing a little. "Guess I can't completely hate him then, right?"

"Nah," I replied. "You can hate him."

"Glad I have your permission," Dom said, still laughing.

I didn't say anything, just snuggled down against Dom, still trying not to put too much of my weight on him. We just sat there in silence for a few minutes. Finally, I pulled away a little. I didn't want to, but I had to make sure that Dom really was okay. I knew he wouldn't say anything about being in pain, even if he was hurting bad.

"So, what'd you do after you got back to the car?" I asked, trying to distract Dom from what I was actually doing as I looked him over, taking in all of the cuts and scrapes on his face and arms. They didn't look all **that** bad…there were just so many of them. I couldn't help but wonder what the rest of him looked like.

"Well," he answered, his eyes closed, "I just sat there for a few minutes…trying to get myself together. Tried calling you here, but I still couldn't get through on the cell. So then I just drove… Trying to get to you as fast as I could, make sure you were okay. And the whole time I just kept… In my mind, I kept seeing Lance and the rest of them hurting you… And I knew how much you'd fight them, so you'd prolly end up hurt even worse… Kept trying to call, but you never answered the phone, and that just made me even more worried…"

"I swear to God, Dom…the phone **never** rang."

"Shit," Dom complained as he reached up to rub at his shoulder. "I might as well not even have a cell at all, with all the good it does me."

"You feeling okay?" I asked, noticing Dom wincing.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm good. Just a little sore, you know."

"Here," I said, taking his hand away from his shoulder and replacing it with my own. "Lemme see what I can do to help you out with that…"

"God, Letty…that's good," Dom moaned as I kneaded his shoulder between my hands, trying to work the tension out of his body.

"Wait…lemme get behind you," I muttered, trying to climb over Dom without kicking him in the face. He cooperated, scooted forward on the couch until there was room for me behind him. "Okay…" I continued when I'd managed to sit so I straddled his body, my face right in the middle of his back. "You know, you're a little big to be between my legs like this…"

"That's not what you said the other night," Dom said lowly, his voice somewhere between a laugh and a growl.

"Yeah, okay…I'm just gonna pretend like I didn't hear that," I replied as I crawled out from behind him and sat myself on the back of the couch, trying to ignore the tingly 'I want you **right now**' feeling in the pit of my stomach.

We didn't talk as I rubbed Dom's neck and shoulders, just sat there in comfortable silence. I even thought he might've fallen asleep…all I could hear was the soft, familiar whisper of his breath, though it was a little more ragged than normal. Finally, when I got to the point where I could barely feel my hands, I stopped, leaned down and kissed the back of his head, wrapped my arms loosely around his shoulders.

"Thanks baby," Dom murmured, surprising me. He reached up to take my hands in his, rubbing them a little.

"Oh, you're awake, are you?" I asked, smiling. "Thought you fell asleep on me or something."

"Nah…I'm awake."

"Good," I replied, letting go of Dom as I slid off of the couch and moved around it to stand in front of him. "Now…let me look at you…make sure you're okay…"

"I'm fine, Letty, I told you that already," Dom protested.

"Yeah, right. Like you would say anything even if you **were** hurt. You think I don't remember that time when you were in high school and busted your ribs and didn't say anything to anyone for nearly three weeks…"

"Come on, Letty…can't we just go back to the house so I can get some sleep? I'm exhausted…"

"You're not going anywhere, Dom, not until you let me look at you," I insisted, tugging his tank top off over his head.

I couldn't say anything for a few minutes, once I finally got a look at him… Big, ugly bruises were already starting to show up all over his chest…some long, others thick and vaguely circular… His stomach looked swollen, and I worried that he might have hurt his kidneys, or liver, or some other vital internal organ, and that he might die right here in the garage, sitting on the couch in front of me.

"Shit, Dom," I finally managed, hesitantly reaching up to probe at his chest, trying to see if they'd broken any of his ribs. "Maybe we should go to the ER…"

"How many times do I have to say it, Letty?" Dom asked, and I could hear the impatience in his voice. "I'm fine! We're not going to the fucking ER so they can call the cops in and I can end up in jail and then have some dumb fucking social worker start asking questions about why you're hanging out with me and living with Leon instead of with your aunt like you're supposed to be, and end up taking you away from me. No way in hell am I gonna let that happen. I am perfectly fucking fine."

I turned to face Dom somewhere in the middle of his paranoid tirade, leaned into him, resting my hands flat against his chest, and started kissing at a bruise that was just forming on his collarbone. My hands roamed over his skin, and I caught sight of a long, jagged cut that ran from the base of his shoulder up to his ear. Suddenly, it was like that cut was the most fascinating thing I'd seen in my entire life, and I just had to taste it. I slowly lowered my mouth to his skin and started lightly tracing the cut with just the tip of my tongue, savoring the sweaty saltiness of him. He shuddered beneath me, and I stopped, worried that I might be hurting him.

"More…" Dom moaned, so low that if I hadn't already been leaning over him I don't think I would have heard him. I went back to licking the cut, running my tongue flat along his skin, feeling his body responding beneath me.

"So if you're perfectly fine, then what are the chances of me gettin' some tonight?" I whispered against Dom's ear when I finally reached the end of the cut.

"Not that I mind, but when did you turn into such a nympho?" he asked, smirking at me.

He didn't touch me, though. Just clenched his fists at his sides, like he didn't want to let himself start anything. I wasn't really surprised - even when we were just kissing, Dom always did everything sweet and slow and gentle…he barely ever even made the first move. It was always me begging him to be rougher, harder...reminding him that I wouldn't break.

I reached down and grabbed Dom's hands in mine, led them to my hips. His hands didn't stay there long, though. I squirmed a little on his lap, rubbing against his hardening dick as I leaned back down to kiss him, and his hands moved up underneath my shirt.

"God, Dom," I moaned a few minutes later as he broke away from my mouth. He slowly pushed my shirt over my head, and started running his tongue over my tits, through the thin fabric of my bra.

Almost before I knew it, my skirt was hiked up around my hips as I rubbed against Dom, desperate to get closer to him. I had to fight the urge to run my nails across his back as he bent down in front of me. I didn't want to hurt him…

Dom finally undid my bra, and he slowly licked the valley of skin between my tits as he lightly brushed his fingers over my bare nipples. I chewed at my lip, trying to keep myself from rushing him for more, trying to force myself to be patient and let him take as much time as he wanted to with this slow torture.

His mouth finally closed around my nipple and his hands dropped to my legs, running up the sides of my thighs to cup my ass and then back down to the bend of my knees as he guided me into a slow rocking against him. My underwear was soaking wet and I wanted nothing more than to feel his bare skin against my inner thighs.

When I couldn't wait anymore, I gently pushed Dom's head away from my tit and scooted myself back from his body a little so I could get to the fly of his pants. I must have struggled with the button for at least five minutes… Dom was pulling at my underwear, trying to get it off of me, and I couldn't concentrate at all on what my fingers were doing.

We moved around a little, awkwardly struggling to get Dom naked without me having to get off of his lap, before ending up with him leaning back against the arm of the couch and me straddling his thighs, my hands resting against his stomach, lightly tracing random patterns onto his skin. And then, Dom took my hands in his, and everything stopped. He just lay there, motionless, looking up at me. His eyebrows scrunched together a little, and I could feel his body heaving, like he was having to work just to breathe.

"Dom?" I asked, worried that I'd somehow hurt him without realizing it. "Are you okay?"

"So beautiful," he murmured softly, his eyes half-closed, a small smile gracing his lips as he reached up to brush a strand of hair away from my face, trailing a path across the very top of my tit. "I love you, Letty."

"I love you too, baby," I answered, trying to keep my voice from breaking with pure relief.

Slowly, I moved so that my hands were on either side of Dom's head, so I could lean down to him without having to put any more of my weight on him. I kissed him, and as he lifted himself up to kiss me back, I slid one arm underneath his head to support his neck. Dom thrust his tongue into my mouth, pulling me down so that I was lying against him, our whole bodies touching. We kissed frantically, like we hadn't seen each other in years, like we might never see each other again and wanted to remember every single detail about each other's mouths…

I could feel Dom getting harder and harder against me, and at that moment I wanted nothing more than I wanted his dick to be inside of me. More than want, I **needed** it, as if that would prove that he really was going to be okay.

I lightly pushed myself off of Dom's chest, but he didn't want to let me move away from him… I could hear him groan, lowly, as he tried to sit up so he could keep kissing me, and so I leaned back down against him.

"Now, stay…" I whispered, kissing him softly before I sat up again. I waited a minute before lowering myself onto his dick, slowly at first to make sure it wouldn't hurt him. He reached up to grab my hips, trying to pull me completely down onto him, moaning in pleasure as I clenched my muscles around his dick.

I stayed motionless for a minute before starting to rock against Dom. He thrust up against me, just like he always did, like he'd forgotten the beating he'd gotten earlier that night. His body didn't let him forget for too long, though. Suddenly he was grimacing, his nails digging into my hips as his stomach muscles contracted in pain.

"Dom!" I said sharply, leaning down close to his face. "Will you stop it and just let me fuck you? Tonight is **mine** - you just lay back and enjoy, or we're not gonna do this at all. You got it?"

"Okay, okay," he muttered, a grin spreading across his face as he relaxed back against the couch. "Fine, I got it…"


	28. When Was the Last Time?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"We **definitely** need to do that more often," Letty sighed as she laid herself down next to me, sweaty and panting and looking completely satisfied. Almost automatically, her right leg hooked over my body and she tucked her left arm under me, curling herself into my side. Just as automatically, I wrapped my right arm around her, pulling her even closer to me. I can't even count the number of times that we've fallen asleep just like that, our bodies twisted together until I can't really tell where I stop and she starts.

"Good, huh?" I asked, smiling at her as I ran my hand through her hair.

"Damn good," she laughed, rubbing her hand lightly over my stomach.

"Yeah, it was…but the next time we do this, I'd like to be able to move…"

"Oh, come on, Dom," she teased. "You not being able to move is what makes it fun! Different and all…you know..."

I just looked at Letty. "What…you gonna break out those velvet-lined handcuffs next time you want to be in control?"

"You **know** about that?" Letty asked, turning her face into my chest like she didn't even want to look at me. "**How** do you know about that??"

"Well I heard you girls talking about it in the garage…" I started explaining. "And then, Mia was wrapping up a box from that place on Sunset the day before your birthday… What's it called…The Pleasure Chest? And then neither one of you would say what was in the box, so I figured…"

"Oh God," she moaned, still not looking at me.

"Come on, baby," I laughed, rubbing my hand up her side. "Sounded like it could be fun… I was actually kind of disappointed you hadn't tried to use them on me already…"

"Really?" she asked hesitantly, lightly kissing my side before turning back to face me again.

"Yeah, really," I assured her, playing with her hair again, trying not to laugh at her embarrassment. Letty's cute as hell when she's flustered...and I don't get to see her like that often enough.

Letty was quiet for a while, so quiet I thought maybe she'd fallen asleep. I was trying to figure out how I was gonna get both of us dressed and out to the car without waking her up when she started running her hand over my chest again.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked after a minute.

"Not at all, baby," I said as I turned to brush a kiss against her forehead. "But…I think Mia will hurt **both** of us if we don't get home soon… I told her we wouldn't be too long when I talked to her earlier, you know. Didn't plan on you wanting to seduce me…"

Sure enough, Mia was waiting for us in the living room when Letty and I got finally back to the house. I just wanted to take Letty upstairs, curl up in bed with her wrapped in my arms and fall asleep, but one look at Mia's face and I knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Dom," Mia started right as we came in the door, practically jumping up out of her chair. I thought she was gonna to say one of two things. Either she was gonna bitch at me for making her worry, thinking Johnny had found Letty and me and done something else to us, or she was gonna be all concerned over seeing how bad I was hurt, and wanting me to go to the doctor. I hoped to God it was the second option…no one can bitch me out better than my sister, not even Letty.

I didn't know how bad I looked…I'd been more worried about Letty than about myself the entire drive to the garage, hadn't stopped long enough to even look at myself in the rearview mirror. I knew, though, that I must've looked pretty bad, for Letty to be so upset and so insistent on checking me over to be sure I was okay. She could've just been horny though, I guess…

But it didn't seem like Mia even noticed my cuts and bruises. She just walked up to me, practically pushed Letty out of her way, didn't stop till she was standing less than an inch away from me. Letty reached over and took my hand, and I had to stop myself from laughing, knowing she was prolly thinking the exact thing I was - hoping that Mia wasn't pissed at **us**.

"Dom…I need you to listen to me," Mia said, her voice low and gritty. "I need you to listen, and then I need you to tell me the truth."

"Okay," I shrugged, just wanting to get whatever this was over with.

"When was the last time you fucked Julie Tran?"

"What?" I barked out, wondering why the hell Mia was asking me that. I could feel Letty stiffen beside me, started rubbing my thumb against the back of her hand, trying to reassure her.

"You heard me, Dom," was all Mia said. She couldn't even look me in the eye…just stared somewhere over my left shoulder.

"Uhm…" I mumbled, trying to think. "I guess it was…three months…" I could feel Letty tense up even more at that, probably remembering that race back in December and what Julie had said to her. She stepped away from me a little bit, tried to pull her hand away from me, but I wouldn't let go of her.

"Three months ago?" Mia asked as she finally raised her head, her eyes flicking over to Letty and then to me, her voice loud and angry and harsh. "What the hell is wrong with you, Dom? You know…maybe you **deserved** to have Johnny kick your ass. And maybe Letty should kick your ass next."

"Fuck, Mia…would you let me finish?" I yelled, my voice pounding an echo inside of my head.

"Fine, finish!" she yelled back, interrupting me again.

"Three months **before** I went to jail. That's the last time I fucked Julie Tran."

"Oh," Mia said quietly, and Letty relaxed next to me, stepped closer so our arms touched. Now it was **her** rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand…a sort of unspoken apology for doubting me, I guess. I wasn't mad, though. I know Letty gets kind of insecure about us sometimes…doesn't think she's enough for me. She **knows** I love her and I'd never do anything I thought would hurt her, but it's like she doesn't always **believe** that. Especially when the sluts are hanging all over me at the races.

"I'm sorry, Dom," Mia continued after a minute. "Can we…I have something I need to tell you."

"Can't it wait till tomorrow?" I asked, trying to keep the weariness out of my voice.

"No… Sorry, Dom, but I don't think it can…" she replied. "Let's go sit down somewhere…"

"So what's going on?" I asked Mia when the three of us were finally settled in the family room - Letty and I on the couch with her curled up underneath my arm, snuggling against my side; Mia sitting across from us in the old recliner we've had since before she was born, perched on the edge of the chair, leaning forward as though she didn't really want to be there, telling whatever story she had to tell, as though she would rather be anywhere else in the world at that moment.

"I know why Johnny did this to you," she answered quietly, looking at the floor.

"What?" I demanded, trying to keep my temper in check, reminding myself that Johnny was nowhere around so getting angry right then wouldn't do any good.

"You remember Lisa? My so-called best friend back in freshman year of high school?"

"Lisa, the one who only hung out with you 'cause she thought being your friend would make it easier for her to get into Dom's pants?" Letty asked, as I looked over at her.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I always wondered why she came around so much, even when she knew you wouldn't be home…"

"Yeah," Mia interrupted, "that would be her. Anyways, I guess the past year or so she's been hanging around with Johnny's crew, trying to get in with them. Well, she called me tonight, about an hour ago."

"Why'd she do that?"

"Gee, I wonder…maybe so she could gloat?" Letty sneered.

"Yeah," Mia said, laughing a little bit. "She hates you now, you know…couldn't wait to tell me how bad you'd fucked up **this** time, how bad Johnny said he hurt you… Thought she was gonna pee her pants or something, she sounded so excited…"

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "So she hates me 'cause she never did manage to get me to fuck her. What'd she say?"

"Well," Mia answered, "she said Johnny and Julie had a huge fight last weekend… I guess Julie is pregnant. And…she's saying it's your kid."

"What?" I roared, and my voice sounded shocked and confused even to me.

"Yeah… According to Lisa, Julie told Johnny that the two of you got back together after you got out of jail. She's saying that you fucked her every chance you got, sometimes even when she didn't want to, told you no…"

"That bitch…" Letty muttered quietly against me.

"That's not all," Mia said, grimacing a little. "Julie also says that when she told you she was pregnant…you flipped out. Demanded that she get an abortion, and when she said she wouldn't, you went psycho on her, called her a slut, a whore, a tramp…any name you could possibly think of. Told her you never wanted to see her again, that you had a new girl… And…"

"What, Mia?" I asked when she trailed off. "Keep going…"

"She says you beat her up, Dom," Mia answered, looking straight at me for the first time since Letty and I had gotten home. "Kicked the shit out of her, left her bleeding in some alley. Says you almost made her lose the baby, you hurt her so bad. That's why… That's why Johnny's so mad, why he jumped you. He wants you to admit that Julie's pregnant with your kid…wants you to step up and take care of her."

"Fuck," I muttered.

"And everyone knows that you and Letty are together now…including Johnny. And he thinks that Letty's the reason you **won't** go back to Julie. Lisa told me that Johnny's been plotting ways to hurt the two of you all week…said that any time he even thinks of the two of you being together he gets crazier. He's determined to make both of you miserable, won't leave you alone until you two've broken up and you're back with Julie."

"So…what are we gonna do, Mia?" I asked quietly. "I'm supposed to give up the best thing that ever happened to me 'cause Julie can't stand that I didn't want to get back together with her? That's not gonna happen…"

"I know, Dom…I know," she answered, looking over my head. "I don't know what we can do…but I'll think of something…"


	29. Brilliant Plan

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"So…you come up with any brilliant ideas yet?" I asked Mia the next morning.

"Yeah…" she started, passing me a cup of coffee. "But I don't think you or Dom are going to like it very much…"

"Not gonna like what?" Dom asked as he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Well, I was up all night," Mia answered, "trying to think of something to do about Johnny."

"And?" I asked, looking at her as I handed my coffee cup to Dom. He doesn't really like coffee very much, but that doesn't stop him from stealing a few sips from mine every morning.

"Well…we need to get Johnny to think the two of you are broken up, right?" Mia started, like she wasn't really sure of her plan. "So…one of you needs to look like you've hooked up with someone new. And no one at the races really knows Amber… So…I was thinking, she could come to the next race with us and act like she's with Dom, like the two of you have broken up or like you were never all that serious to begin with or something."

"But won't that just make Johnny start going after Amber?" Dom asked, frowning.

"Nah…I don't think he will," Mia answered, sitting down at the table. "Not if you act like you're just with Amber for the sex. Johnny doesn't really want you and Julie to get back together… He's never liked you, Dom, we all know that. From what Lisa told me, he just doesn't want it to look like you're in a serious relationship with someone besides Julie…thinks that would be disrespectful to her or something."

"How long?" I asked, taking my coffee back from Dom.

"With Amber?"

"Yeah."

"Probably just one race…maybe two. Depends on how good they are at acting like they're together," Mia said, looking over at me.

"And after that?"

"Well…Julie's about three months pregnant. Hopefully she'll say who the real dad is, eventually. But if not, then I guess we'll have to have a paternity test done after the kid is born," she explained.

"So Dom and I have to act like we're not together for the next six months?" I asked, frowning into my cup, thinking of all the girls who would practically attack Dom if they thought he was single, or back to just fucking anyone he thought was vaguely cute like he had when he was in high school.

"Yeah," Mia said slowly. "I know it's not perfect… But it's not like you'll have to avoid each other entirely. Just at the races. And the two of you aren't really all that lovey-dovey in public anyways… Plus, you can act like your relationship is just a thing of convenience and no real emotional attachment…just about having easy access to sex. Friends with benefits, you know."

"I don't like it," Dom muttered, getting up and walking into the family room. He looked like an old man, stumbling along, and I couldn't help but grimace as I watched him.

"I **said** it wasn't perfect, Dom," Mia said, leaning into the other room. "But unless one of you comes up with a better idea, it's all we've got…"


	30. Whose Idea?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Whose idea was this again?" I muttered to myself as I leaned against my car, trying to look like I was into Amber, trying to remember how to flirt with a girl that wasn't Letty.

"Mia's," she replied shortly, crossing her legs as she stared over my shoulder. "The same one who **always** comes up with the big plans."

"Isn't that Letty's skirt?" I wondered aloud.

"Hmm?" Amber replied, distracted. "Oh. Yeah, it is. Mia and her decided I didn't really have anything **appropriate** for a race whore. Not that either of them really do either, but somehow between the three of us we managed to come up with an outfit. Do I look slutty enough?"

"Let's see," I said, looking her up and down. "Leather skirt that's too short on Letty, who's at least two inches shorter than you… I don't know if you could even call that other thing a top, it's so little… Do you look slutty enough? Yeah, you do. Now all you have to do is come a little closer, look like you'd be willing to fuck me in the middle of the street if I wanted you to, and we're good to go."

"Some ladies man **you** are," Amber muttered to herself, laughing a little. "You talk to Letty like that?"

"Shit, Amber," I laughed. "You know Letty…she's a million times raunchier than me!"

"Yeah, okay, you're right," she had to admit.

"Okay," I said, reaching a hand out to grab Amber's waist and pull her closer to me. "I guess we should just get this shit over with already."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she sighed. "But damn…do I **really** have to kiss you?"

"Don't sound so excited about it, now," I muttered.

"Sorry Dom!" she laughed. "But you know…it's just…ick!"

"Yeah…not exactly my idea of a good time either, you know? So," I continued, pulling her so she stood between my legs, right up against me, "the thought of kissing me's really that bad, huh?"

"Well," Amber replied after a few seconds, running her hands down my chest and letting them rest in my lap. "You're not all that bad looking, I guess…but kissing you? Just…ugh."

"Not all that bad looking?" I asked, incredulous. "Never heard **that** from a chick before… So…you really don't think I'm hot?"

"Uhm…no."

I just sat there for a second, playing with the waistband of her skirt, remembering the last time Letty'd worn it. "Well," I finally replied. "I don't think you're hot either."

"That's good," she replied, laughing.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause Letty would kick your ass if she heard you say you thought another girl was hot, and you know it!"

"What'd I do to deserve this abuse?" I muttered to myself as Amber leaned into me, kissing me.

"Hey, Dom…" someone said off to the side.

"Hector!" I replied, pushing Amber away from me a little. Maybe I said his name too loud or something, 'cause Hector took a quick step back, like he didn't want to be the one to interrupt me. "What's up, man? Derek show up yet?"

"Yeah, man, he just got here. So, you ready to go do this thing?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go," I said before leaning over to kiss Amber. "I'll see **you** after the race," I growled at her, trying to act like I wasn't cringing inside.

"So, uh…who's the girl?" Hector asked as we walked over to meet up with the other guys and settle the terms of the race.

"Her? Oh, that's Amber. Pretty nice piece of ass, huh?"

"Not bad, not bad," Hector said appreciatively, looking back at her. "What happened with you and Letty, though? You two've been looking real serious, lately."

"Serious? Nah, man…we weren't serious. Just fucking around, you know how it is."


	31. Only Idea

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

I almost couldn't watch Dom and Amber putting on their show, even though I knew how fake it all was.

"Shit," I sighed, leaning against Leon, "tell me again why we thought this was a good idea?"

"Did we **ever** think it was a good idea?" he laughed. "More like it was our **only** idea…"

"Hey," I protested. "**I** had another idea. It's not my fault you guys wouldn't let me go kill that bitch, Julie…"

"Letty, you know violence ain't the answer…"

"Shit…I could take Julie. And Johnny. **And** Lance. Those two are fuckin' pussies, man."

"Uhm…hostile much?" Leon asked, running his hand over my arm, trying to keep me calm.

"Come on… Take Lance… Have you **seen** the pants he wears? Those snakeskin ones, I swear, they're from the juniors department at Macy's. Swear to God, they are. I saw a pair **just** like them when your mom drug me shopping for my birthday."

"Damn, girl," Leon sighed. "You **do** know that Johnny and Lance are both here, right? Or are you just **trying** to die young and drag the rest of us along with you? I swear, between you and Dom, I'll be lucky to live to see my twenty-fifth birthday…"

"So," I said, nodding towards Dom and Amber and changing the subject, "what d'you think they're talking about over there?"

"Eh," he said after a minute. "They're probably talking about how cute the two of us look tonight."

"Leon!" I laughed, smacking his arm. "Be serious!"

"What…you worried about Dom or something?"

I was quiet for a minute before answering. "Nah…not really. I know Dom, know how he feels about me. But…he **is** a guy…"

"You sayin' guys aren't trustworthy or something?"

"Oh, come on, Leon! Guys suck!"

"Gee, thanks…"

"I'm not worried about Dom," I went on, like I hadn't even heard Leon. "I trust him… It's other people I don't trust. I see how other girls look at him, you know?"

"He doesn't even see those other girls, Letty," Leon said quietly, trying to reassure me. "It's like they don't even exist, as far as he's concerned. You know, when someone walks into the garage, he **always** looks to see if maybe it's you, even if it's the middle of the day and he **knows** you're at school. Even when he's talking to other people at the races, they never have all of his attention. He's always looking around for you, checking to make sure you're okay. Don't you see that?"

"Yeah, I do…" I said slowly. "But that still doesn't keep other chicks from trying to get in his pants…"

"Oh, come on, Letty!" Leon protested. "Like you even need to worry about them. Even if Dom **weren't** completely in love with you, you're **so** much hotter than the sluts who hang around the races!"

"Yeah?" I questioned, smiling a little to myself.

"Totally!"

"Well…I guess you're pretty hot yourself, man," I replied, laughing.

"You **guess**? Come on, girl…"

"Okay, okay, fine," I laughed. "You're hot."

"I am, aren't I," Leon smiled. "You know, they're lucky we're related. Although, you know what they say…"

"What's that?" I asked absentmindedly as I watched Dom and Amber, trying to ignore the way his hands played over her waist.

"Incest is best, right?"

"Leon…you're such a dork, you know that? I don't know how the hell Amber puts up with you…"

Just then, Amber leaned into Dom, his hands wrapping around her as they kissed.

"She looks…kind of into him…" Leon muttered to himself as we watched them. "You don't think…you haven't seen **Amber** looking at Dom the way those other chicks do, have you?"

"Uhm…**no**," I said, looking at Leon. "Are you crazy or something? Amber looks at Dom the exact same way that Mia looks at him. Like they're brother and sister, you know. This must be damn weird for her. For both of them."

"Yeah, I guess," Leon replied, still sounding unsure.

Just then, Hector walked up to Dom. And as lame as it sounds, as much as it makes it seem like I didn't trust either Dom or Amber at all, I couldn't help but be relieved when they stepped away from each other. Leon must've felt the same way, 'cause I could feel him relax next to me.

"Well," I said, stepping towards Leon's car so we could head to the starting place, "I guess we should go watch…so I can play the jealous ex-girlfriend and all…"

"Yeah," Leon laughed. "I just wish this night would hurry the fuck up and end already…"


	32. One Good Reason

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

It almost hurt, to have someone other than Letty in my arms. Amber just **felt** wrong…her body didn't fit easily against my own, she didn't taste or smell or touch right. Her mouth was salty against mine…not the tangy lemon of the candy Letty was always sucking on. She smelled like perfume instead of soap. She didn't know to wrap her arms around my neck as we kissed, she was too tall for me to pick up easily and cradle against my chest. She was beautiful…but she wasn't Letty.

For the first time in my life, I actually wanted to see cops. Wanted to see **anything** that would make the crowd around us scatter and disappear as soon as possible after the race. Didn't happen, though. I had to stand there, next to my car, my arm wrapped around Amber's shoulder, my hand grazing the side of her tit every time either one of us moved, while every single person at the race came up to congratulate me. Well, **almost** every single person. The one I wanted to see most was nowhere to be found.

We must've stood there next to my car for at least an hour. It was funny…I'd never really noticed before how all the girls threw themselves at me. Even with Amber standing right next to me, my arm around her, half of the chicks insisted on getting a kiss, or at least a hug, before they would leave me alone. I guess they figured that since Letty wasn't around, I was up for grabs. Which was good, but I damn near got my ass kicked 'cause of some of those girls…

It was harder than normal to pay even a little bit of attention to them…I kept wondering where Letty was, trying to find her in the crowd. I was just out of it…couldn't concentrate on anything. But then Hector came up to me, and we got to talking about the Super Bowl. For some reason, Hector's a total freak about the Cowboys. He's almost more into them than he's into cars… He'd made the trip down to Tempe that year to watch the game, and every time we saw each other we ended up talking about it again.

"Man, you shoulda been there, Dom," Hector said, his entire face lighting up. "It was a kick ass game."

"Yeah," I laughed, "if by 'kick ass' you mean that your boys almost got their asses kicked."

"Oh, man, that's just fucked up," Hector laughed. "They weren't ever behind during that whole game and you know it."

"They got lucky…"

Hector and I went back and forth for prolly twenty minutes or so… He never gets tired of trying to convince me that the Cowboys are the best team in NFL history. I could feel Letty fidgeting next to me, knew she was getting sick of all this talk about football… She likes the game well enough…sits and screams at the television along with me and Leon during Monday Night Football. But when we're still talking about the Superbowl nearly two months later, she gets annoyed.

Trying to distract Letty, keep her from bitching at Hector, I moved my arm from her shoulder down to the hood of the car. Slowly, I started brushing my fingers along her thigh, subtly tracing my way up underneath her skirt.

Suddenly, I could barely breathe. I looked over at Letty, trying to figure out why the fuck she'd just elbowed me in the gut, and nearly had a heart attack.

"Well…looks like you're ready to head home," Hector said, laughing at us. I could only hope he was buying the act and thought I really was wanting to throw Amber down on the hood of the car and fuck her…hoped he couldn't see that I was surprised as hell to realize it wasn't Letty standing next to me.

"Yeah," I said, nodding back at him, "I think we're gonna take off… See ya at the house later?"

"Yeah, maybe," Hector said as he walked off, turning to add, "And Dom, face it, man…the Cowboys **are** the team of the 90s…"

"Whatever," I laughed, rolling my eyes as I got into the car, wondering how much Amber was gonna bitch at me.

"Fuck, Dom!" she started in as soon as the car doors were both closed. "I thought I told you to watch the hands! What the fuck is **wrong** with you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass…"


	33. Give Me an Excuse

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna come inside?" Leon asked as we got out of his car in front of Dom's place.

"Nah," I said, "I think I'm going to chill out here for a while…get some air." Half the people from the race must've been inside already, from the looks of all the cars parked up and down the block. I didn't even feel like seeing anyone…didn't want to deal with all the stares and the whispers and the drama. And I **definitely** didn't want to see any more of Dom and Amber's act. I just wanted to get home and try to forget the whole night ever happened.

Leon hesitated for a minute, like he wasn't sure if he should leave me alone or not. "Okay," he finally said, starting to walk towards the house. "If you need anything…"

"Come get you," I finished, barely paying attention to him. "Yeah, I know…thanks." I couldn't stop thinking about Dom and Amber and how fucked up the whole situation was…kept reliving the whole night in my mind. I had to admit…the two of them looked good together. Almost like they belonged with each other…

Leon was inside for what seemed like hours… "Damn, he get lost in there or something?" I remember thinking to myself. Finally I decided to go in and find him so we could get the fuck out of there. I wanted to leave before Dom and Amber showed up, didn't really trust myself not to do something I'd regret later.

"Shit," I muttered to myself as I walked through the door. I didn't see Leon **anywhere** and I really didn't feel like pushing through crowds of people to go looking for him.

"Hey Leticia," Hector's cousin Miguel said as he walked up to me. "How you doin'?"

"I'm fuckin' wonderful, man," I told him, smiling a little. Miguel was a year ahead of me at school…prolly the closest thing I had to a friend there.

"Yeah…" he trailed off. "You know…it's real cool of you to show up here. Shows a lot of strength."

"Sure," I laughed. "And here I thought it just showed I'm too fucking stupid to know when to keep my ass at home…"

"Nah," he answered. "You know, you look good tonight…"

I looked at Miguel then…**really** looked at him. Was he…flirting with me? That was just too much…

"Lemme get you a drink?" he asked, stepping a little closer to me.

"Yeah, sure," I answered, not even really thinking about it. "That'd be good."

After a few minutes, Miguel was back. "Here ya go," he said, smiling as he held out a Budweiser to me, looking all proud of himself.

I had to laugh to myself. Budweiser. Someone must've brought it to the party - normally there isn't anything at Dom's but Corona and the girly shit that Mia likes. Normally I wouldn't touch a Budweiser with a ten-foot pole, let alone drink it… But at that point, I didn't even care…I just wanted something to help me forget all the shit that was going on.

Miguel and I just stood there drinking for a while, not even talking, his arm brushing up against mine every so often.

"So…you wanna go upstairs or something?" he finally asked, just when I was wondering why he was still hanging around.

"What?" I asked before downing the last of my beer, not sure I'd heard him right.

"You wanna go upstairs with me?" he repeated. "I just thought…I don't know… I could help you get over Dom…"

"Uhm…nah, man," I said, in complete shock. "Thanks, but I think I'm just gonna stay away from guys for a while…"

"Yeah, can't really say I blame ya," he laughed. "Well…let me know if you change your mind, k?"

"Okay…I will," I said just before he turned to walk away. "Well, **that** was fucking weird," I thought to myself before heading for the kitchen to see if I could find Leon.

He wasn't in there, so I just grabbed myself a Corona, pounded it, and then got another before going back out to the living room.

Dom and Amber walked through the door about forty minutes later, their hands all over each other… The beers had almost managed to make me forget how much it hurt to watch them at the race, fake or not… But suddenly, all I could think of was the last, quick glance I'd gotten of them as Leon was driving away. The two of them leaning against Dom's car, his hand up her fucking skirt… **My** skirt… Bitch.

For once, though, I hadn't exploded right away. I wasn't really sure what I'd seen - I was hoping it was just part of the act. But now… What if Amber and Dom were actually into each other?

I couldn't even think about it without wanting to scream. But I couldn't **stop** thinking about it, either. So I just sat down on the couch and watched them.

"C'mon, Amber," I muttered to myself, watching **exactly** where she put her hands as she and Dom kissed on the couch. "Give me an excuse…"

They didn't really look like they were that into each other, though…more like they were just going through the motions. Dom looked like he was being **very** careful to keep his hands at Amber's waist, not too high, not too low… He actually looked like he was scared she might beat the shit out of him. Still…I was pissed.

"I'm gonna break something tonight, Leon," I said as he walked up and handed me another beer. "I'm sick of this shit."

"You ready to go home, girl?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Yeah, man…" I muttered, still staring over at Dom and Amber. I just needed to talk to him for a second…needed to make sure this was still all just an act. "I just gotta take care of a little something first…then I'm good to go."

"What are you talking about, Letty?" Leon asked, sounding a little panicked. I was already walking away from him, though.

"Dom. We need to talk. Now. Dominic!" I said as I walked up to the couch where he and Amber were still making out. I actually had to repeat myself about four times, ended up practically yelling before he looked up at me. "Bastard," I muttered lowly when he finally did. I couldn't quite decide if I was gonna beat the shit out of both of them or just start sobbing right there.


	34. There Was Nothing

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"What the fuck does Letty think she's doing?" I wondered when I saw her walking up to Amber and me… I tried to ignore her, tried to act like she was just some random girl… But I couldn't. Especially when she called me a bastard… "Mia tell her to cause a scene or some shit like that?"

"I **said** we need to talk, Dom," she growled at me. "Now."

I hesitated for half a second, wondering how long she and Leon had stuck around after the race… I hadn't seen them at all, but… God, I hoped Letty hadn't seen me and Amber… If she had, I was gonna have even **more** explaining to do… I didn't even want to think about what that scene would've looked like to her… Finally I decided to just go with my first thought - Letty was playing the same game that we all were…I'd play along with her.

"I don't have time for your shit right now, Letty," I growled back at her. "I'm busy."

Almost before the words were out of my mouth, I was wishing I could take them back. The look in Letty's eyes…it was like she became a completely different person in that split second…someone I didn't know at all.

"That was the wrong fucking thing to say to me, Dom," she muttered before turning to Amber.

"So tell me, bitch, how's it feel to get fingered in front of the entire fucking world?" Letty asked, her face completely calm. "Was it good for you?"

"Excuse me?" Amber replied, standing up, looking like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

"What do you think you're doing, Letty?" I sighed.

"I'm not talking to you, Dom. I don't have time for your shit right now. I'm busy," she yelled, getting right up in my face.

All of a sudden, Leon was there, dragging Letty away from me. "You need to cut this shit!" he yelled, pushing her out the front door. I could still hear her screaming, even through the closed door. What killed me was that I had to act like I didn't care at all…had to go back to groping Amber and putting on a show for everyone.

I kept expecting to hear the squealing of tires as Leon and Letty drove off, but when the screaming finally stopped, there was nothing.


	35. Some Favor

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"What the fuck was that, Letty?" Leon demanded as soon as we were outside, his arm still wrapped around my waist. "Amber's doing you and Dom a **favor** and you go and say that shit to her?"

"Yeah…some favor," I muttered lowly, pushing him away from me. "We shouldn't have done this, Leon…we never should've let Mia talk us into this…"

"Shit, girl!" Leon said loudly, nodding towards the house so I knew he was saying it in case anyone could hear us. "You and Dom broke up. You can't just go after any chick he's with now!"

"They were practically fucking in the middle of the goddamned street, Leon!" I screamed back at him, hoping Dom could hear me. "And then he can't even shove his dick back in his pants long enough to talk to me for five seconds?"

"What'd you expect, girl?" Leon asked, quietly. "How'd you think it was gonna be?"

"I don't know, but…not this," I whispered, all the fight suddenly gone out of me. "I didn't think it would be like this… Take me home, Leon…"

"Okay, Letty, okay," he said quietly. "Lemme just go tell Mia we're leaving… You gonna be aight out here by yourself?"

"Aren't I always?" I laughed harshly, sitting down on the front steps as Leon went back into the house… I just stared off into space, completely zoned out… Barely even noticed when the door opened and Dom sat down next to me.

"You okay?" he asked after a few minutes, his voice sounding silky and slightly worried.

"Okay…not exactly the word I would choose…but…yeah. I guess."

"You wanna tell me what that was about in there?"

"Heh," I laughed, rubbing my hands over my face. "You wanna tell **me** what that was about back at the race, with your hand up Amber's skirt?"

"You're not gonna believe me…" Dom muttered, reaching over to me but stopping just short of my face, like he was scared of how I would react if he actually touched me.

"Oh?" I asked, laughing again. "Lemme guess. You realized tonight how hot Amber is, and how many chicks you've been missing out on since you've been with me, and you just couldn't stop yourself from practically fucking her on the hood of your car… And now you're just trying to figure out a way to end this for real…"

"How could you think that, baby?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes with one hand like he was getting a migraine or something. "It was all fake…you know that…"

"Looked pretty fucking real to me," I muttered.

"And how could you even think I would want anyone but you?" he continued, like he hadn't even heard me. "You're beautiful, you're sexy as hell, you make me laugh, you know cars practically better than I do… You're perfect for me… I love you. And…I know you prolly aren't gonna believe me, 'cause it sounds so dumb…but I really thought that Amber was you, when I was talking to Hector. It's always you, there next to me… I just wasn't thinking… I'm sorry…I'd take it back if I could. So…we okay?"

"Whatever, Dom…" I said, looking away from him, trying as hard as I could to remember that I was pissed at him. "Could you just go tell Leon to get his ass out here and take me home already?"

"I'm not goin' inside until you say we're okay, baby…"

"We're fine, Dom. There, happy? We are perfectly fucking fine… I just need some time to calm down. This is all just…harder, than I thought it would be…you know?"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Dom whispered, leaning over and brushing a kiss against the top of my head before getting up and going back inside the house.


	36. Never Would Have

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"So, is Letty gonna try to kick my ass when she sees me, or did you manage to explain to her what the fuck you thought you were doing sticking your hand up my skirt?" Amber asked as we got into the car.

"Nah, she won't try to kick your ass," I answered. "At least…I don't think she will. She's just…she's a little upset about all this…seeing us together and all. Just give her some time…"

"Great," Amber muttered, turning to stare out the car window. "You know, Dom," she continued after a few minutes, "I never would have agreed to this if I thought it was going to hurt her…"

"Don't say that," I protested, looking over at Amber. "You know, if it weren't you, it would've had to have been someone else… But there **isn't** anyone else who could do this. So I would've had to end up actually cheating on Letty… I don't know… I don't think either one of us could've handled that. This wouldn't have worked without you. I would've had to fight Johnny, and any way it ended up, he would've won. Either I'd be dead, or I'd be back in jail… So thank you. For me **and** for Letty."

"I don't really think she'd want to thank me right now, Dom," Amber sighed.

"Nah, she would," I said, trying to reassure Amber. "She likes you, you know. And Letty doesn't like **anybody**. It's just… You just gotta understand her. For most of her life, everyone she's let herself care about has ended up leaving her. So it's almost like she expects that from people now…like she acts tough to push them away before they get the chance to hurt her."

"Yeah," Amber laughed a little. "I know what that's like…"

"Well, uh…here we are…" I said, pulling up in front of Leon's place.

"You coming in?" she asked as she opened the car door.

"Uhm…nah, I don't think so," I mumbled, looking up towards Letty's room.

"I bet she'd want to see you…" Amber said, trying to convince me.

"Yeah, so she could beat the shit out of me," I laughed.

"C'mon, Dom," Amber pleaded. "It'd make me feel better…make me feel like everything really is okay with you guys…"

"Okay, okay, fine," I finally agreed.

"Hey," Leon said as we walked into the front room, Amber immediately burying herself in his arms.

"Hey man," I replied, nodding towards the stairs. "Is Letty…?" All of a sudden I was glad Amber had insisted I go inside. Right then, I wanted to see Letty so bad I could practically taste her…

"Yeah, dawg," he answered. "She's upstairs…I think she's sleeping."

"Okay," I replied, looking towards the door. "I'm just gonna go check on her…then I'll take off."

"Sure man," Leon grinned at me. "We'll see ya tomorrow…"

I was actually nervous as I walked up the stairs, wondering if Letty'd calmed down yet. I sure as hell hoped so…didn't really feel like getting my ass chewed out yet again that night.

Turned out, I didn't have to worry about getting yelled at. Letty was asleep, just like Leon'd thought. She was lying on her stomach, sprawled across the bed, the blankets thrown down to the floor. Letty sleeps weird…when we're in bed together, she barely moves. But when she sleeps alone, she thrashes all over the place, takes up the entire bed, and God help you if you even think about trying to move her.

I just watched her for a few minutes from the doorway, before going over and kneeling on the floor beside her. I remember, she looked so beautiful… Well, she's always beautiful. But that night, watching her lying there in her bed… It was one of those moments when you look at the person you love and your breath just…catches in your throat because you can't believe they actually love you back.

I could've stayed there and watched Letty all night, but I didn't want to leave Mia at the house for too long with none of us around. Even though there were still tons of people there, they weren't friends. Hell, most of them were barely even acquaintances. And I knew none of them would step in if Johnny showed up and tried to start something.

I reached down to grab a blanket off the floor, draped it loosely over Letty. Leaned down to kiss her cheek, then forced myself to walk out of the room. Leon and Amber had disappeared somewhere - probably into his bedroom. I didn't bother looking for them to say I was leaving.

Took the long way home. Which, since Leon lives about five blocks away from me, meant driving halfway to Hollywood, just to kill time. Even though I wanted to get back to the house to check on Mia, I couldn't have it looking like I'd taken Amber home and just dropped her off. Finally let myself go back around two, walked through the front door trying to swagger in like I'd just had the best fuck of my life.

I checked on Mia, then planted myself on the couch with a Corona, trying not to laugh at all the bullshit. Those parties are always like a fucking soap opera, but Letty usually drags me upstairs before too long, so I don't have to suffer through most of the shit that goes on.

I finally went upstairs around four in the morning, after everyone had gotten the hell out of my house.

"Just fuck me…" I heard Letty moan as I walked into my room.

"That an invitation or a demand?" I growled at her, laughing as I quickly stripped down to my boxers, trying to figure out how the hell she'd gotten there.

"Ugh," Letty groaned when I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Stay the hell away from me, Dom," she said as she rolled away from me. "And turn off the fucking light," she added, pulling a pillow over her head.

"You **do** know this is **my** bed, right?" I asked slowly as I reached over to turn the light off, wondering what the fuck Letty's problem was. She couldn't **still** be mad about earlier…I thought we'd worked all of that shit out before she left the party…

"**Yes**, I know this is your bed," she muttered, throwing the pillow at me. "But it's bigger than mine, and more comfortable, and it smells like you, and I couldn't sleep…"

"Oh," I said quietly, still trying to figure out what was up with her. "I thought you were asleep hours ago."

"I was," she replied shortly. "Woke up, couldn't get back to sleep. Figured if I was gonna be miserable, you might as well be too…"

"C'mon, baby," I said lowly, reaching over to brush Letty's hair back from her face. "Tonight went good, I thought… just like we planned. So what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Dom," she finally answered, rolling over to face me, her eyes dark and shiny. "Nothing except me having cramps so bad I can barely fucking breathe. Add that to the rest of the shit going on and I've just had the best fucking day in the history of the entire world."

"Oh," was all I could think of to say to that as Letty closed her eyes. "You want me to leave?" I finally asked after a few minutes of just standing there. "I could sleep on the couch… don't think anyone puked on it tonight…"

"No…you don't have to leave," Letty said, like it was her room or something. "Just…don't touch me."

"**O-kay** then," I thought as I settled myself onto the floor next to the bed. I was almost asleep when Letty started crying.

I was up and on the bed next to her in less than a second. Letty **never** cries…

"Letty, baby, what's **wrong**?" I asked, scared to death to hear the answer.

"It just…I just hurt so fucking much, Dom," she said, her voice sounding almost dead.

"What can I do to help you, baby?" I asked, running my hand lightly over her belly, feeling completely helpless. "Do you want me to get Mia? She might have some Tylenol or something…"

"No," Letty sighed. "Tylenol wouldn't help. Besides, I already took something earlier. Muscle relaxant."

"Didn't work?" I asked, immediately feeling like a dumbass. **Obviously** whatever painkillers Letty'd taken hadn't worked…

"Nah," she muttered, and I could feel her muscles clenching under my hand. "I think I'm just thinking too much, or something…"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking… I'm thinking I'm a fucked up head case who's gonna wind up in the psycho ward of our friendly neighborhood nut joint any day now…if Amber doesn't kill me first, that is…"

"C'mon, baby, it couldn't be that bad," I said lowly, trying to soothe her. "Tell me… It'll make you feel better. I love you…"

She didn't answer…stayed so quiet I might've thought she'd finally managed to fall asleep if I hadn't already known that Letty **never** sleeps on her back.

"I was late," she said, almost twenty minutes later.

"Late?" I echoed, wondering if I was supposed to know what the fuck she was talking about.

"Not that I've ever been normal," she continued like she hadn't even heard me. "But I always was regular…fifty-two days of nothing and then four days of bleeding like you wouldn't fucking believe…"

"Oh shit," I thought to myself, suddenly realizing **exactly** what Letty was talking about.

"Anyways, I'd never been late **once** in three years," she said, staring at the wall like she'd forgotten I was even in the room, like she was talking to herself. "And then…nothing, for nearly three months. And the only thing that'd changed was we'd… well, you know…"

"Oh shit," I thought to myself again, remembering the first time Letty and I'd had sex, right after her birthday…just a little over three months before.

"At first, I didn't even want to think about it… I couldn't even believe it was possible. I kept telling myself…'One more day…just wait one more day…'"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked quietly.

"I didn't **know**, Dom…" she whispered back, still staring at the wall. "I wasn't sure or anything… I told myself I'd wait another week, and if I hadn't started by then I'd get a test. And if it said I really was…**then** I'd tell you…"

She stopped talking then, and we just sat there for a few minutes. I wanted to ask Letty so many things, but I knew if she felt rushed she wouldn't say another word. So I just sat next to her in the dark, rubbing her belly, waiting.

"I was freaked out," she finally continued, "but somewhere along the way I got used to the idea. I mean… I'm not saying I started hoping I **was**… I'm not ready for that, nowhere **near** ready… But, if it turned out I was pregnant with your kid…somehow, that wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world, you know? I would've almost been happy, even… Crazy, isn't it?"

"No baby…it's not crazy," I murmured, trying to reassure her.

"And so finally last week I bought a test. And it turned out negative. And I was relieved…like **beyond** relieved… But then this whole thing with Julie happened… And **I** know she isn't really having your kid… But everyone thinks she is. And I'm just like… it **should** be **me**. It's like she's stealing something that should be mine… And then I finally started bleeding tonight… So I'm all bitchy and hormonal to begin with, and I feel like someone is ripping my guts out with their bare hands. And then having to stand there and watch you and Amber… And it's just like…every single thing is a reminder that I'm not pregnant. And some very small, very fucked up part of me **desperately** wants to be… I guess…I realized this week that I want to have your babies someday, Dom. And…some part of me is disappointed that it isn't happening right now. And I'll totally understand if you think I'm a complete freak and you never want to touch me again…"

"Letty," I whispered, leaning in to kiss the tears off of her face. "I love you… I want you to have my babies…someday. Now…why don't we go see if I can make you feel better?"


	37. Feeling Better Yet?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"C'mere, baby," Dom whispered as he gathered me up in his arms and carried me into the bathroom, sitting me down on the counter as he started running water in the tub.

"Dom," I laughed, almost forgetting the pain I was in. "What are you doing?"

"Well…" he said slowly, "I read something in a magazine a while back that they said helps with cramps…so I thought maybe we could try it out and see if it helps you any…"

"And…what exactly are you gonna be doing to me?" I asked.

"Just wait and see," was all he would answer.

"Okay then…will you at least tell me what magazine you read this in? I mean…you're not gonna be using me as a guinea pig for some weird experiment you read in Road and Track where you pour motor oil on me or anything, are you?"

"Uhm…it was Cosmo," Dom said quickly, like he was embarrassed or something, not even looking at me or anything.

"Cosmo?" I said, a huge grin on my face. "You read Cosmo? No shit…"

"Hey now…" he said, "Mia went through the garage and got rid of all the old car magazines…there wasn't anything else around to read…"

"Sure," I laughed. "I totally believe you. You know you read it every month, as soon as it comes in the mail… I can just see you fighting Mia for it…"

"Are you done yet?" Dom sighed, walking over to stand in front of me.

"Maybe…"

Even before I could finish my sentence, Dom was pressed against me, his lips finding that spot on my neck as his hands pushed their way under my shirt.

"This…needs to go," he said slowly, pushing my shirt up over my head and flinging it into the corner.

His shirt followed just a few seconds later. Almost before I knew what was happening, Dom had lowered himself into the tub and was helping me in after. I sighed as I sank into the warm water, settling between his legs and leaning back against his chest.

"This…I could get used to this," I said lowly as Dom lightly massaged my shoulders.

"You like?" he laughed, leaning down to kiss my neck.

"Yeah…I like…" I murmured.

"You feeling better yet?"

"Depends…" I said slowly. "You gonna stop if I say yes?"


	38. Vince

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

Vince got out of juvie on a Tuesday towards the end of August. I don't remember the exact date, but I know it was a Tuesday 'cause Leon had gone to the monthly government auction to see if they had any cars worth restoring there, and those are always on Tuesdays, even now.

Letty, Mia and me went over to Vince's house that night. His mom had invited us…I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe she was trying to keep Vince and Joe from fighting.

I wanted to talk to Vince, wanted to tell him about everything that'd happened while he was gone. But we'd barely walked in the door when Linda announced it was time to eat, started pushing us all towards the table.

No one said anything for prolly ten minutes after we started eating. Just sat there, in awkward silence, shoveling in the food.

"So, Dominic," Joe finally said, sneering at me a little. "What have you been up to since this wonderful state of ours decided that you've been successfully rehabilitated?"

I knew Joe didn't like me, knew he thought I should've been locked up longer. Knew he knew I was racing, too… I think he was just waiting for me to get busted again, even wanted to be the one to do it.

"Well," I said, keeping calm, "I've been spending most of my time at the garage…"

"Garage?" Joe asked, interrupting me.

"Yeah," I replied, "You know, working on cars and all…"

"Ah," he said. "So just dicking around at home, then, huh?"

"No," I explained, still calm even though I could tell Joe was trying to get me going. "My friend Leon manages a small place. Tommy's Auto Repair. I help him out there…we're partners, kind of."

"Tommy's…" Joe said, wiping his hand across his forehead. "Oh yeah…isn't that the place where the owner was sent up for possession of stolen property a few years back?"

"I wouldn't know anything about that," I replied, looking straight at Joe.

"Of course not," he said, and I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Leon," Linda said, and I could tell she was trying to distract Joe, trying to get rid of the tension by changing the subject. "That name sounds really familiar…is he from the neighborhood?"

"Or did you meet him in Lompoc?" Joe added, sneering again.

I could feel all my muscles tightening as I started getting angrier and angrier. For almost as long as I've known him, Joe has always criticized me, always been on my case, saying I'll never amount to anything. I think he actually celebrated when I got arrested. When he first met Linda, he was really jealous of all the time she spent with my family, with my dad. I guess he thought they had a little something going on… He didn't realize that we'd become a little family, that Linda and my dad were like surrogate parents to each other's children. There was never anything romantic between them…just friendship. The closer Linda got to Joe, the less time she spent with Mia and me, until it was like we barely knew her at all. But Joe still never missed a chance to criticize us, like he was trying to pull her even further away.

I guess Letty and Mia could tell I was about to go off on Joe. Letty reached under the table, started rubbing my leg, trying to work some of the tension out of my body. And Mia jumped into the conversation.

"Leon is Letty's cousin," she explained, looking at Linda. "You probably remember him…he hung around with us sometimes, when him and his mom were over visiting…"

"Oh, yes," Linda answered, looking from Mia over to Letty. "I remember now, of course. Now, Letty, how is school going for you, dear? What year are you in now?"

"Junior," Letty answered.

"My, how grown up you're all getting," Linda said, shaking her head. "Now, are you still at Jefferson? Or did they make you switch schools when you went to live with your aunt?"

"I'm still at Jefferson," Letty said, looking like she was wondering how the hell Linda knew that she didn't live with her mom anymore. I wondered too…wondered if Linda knew that, how long would it be before she found out Letty wasn't really staying with her aunt but had been living with Leon for over a year. And how long after that it would be before a social worker started coming around to check up on her…

"Oh, that's nice," Linda replied, looking distracted.

"So," Joe started up again, like Linda'd never even said anything, "Tell me, how is it that two young guys run a garage all by themselves?"

"C'mon, Joe," Vince said, "back off. You know Dom's always been good with cars."

It was practically the first thing Vince had said since we'd gotten there. We were at his house, at a dinner to celebrate him getting home, and I'd nearly forgotten he was there.

"Was I talking to you?" Joe sneered, pushing his chair back from the table. "And besides, being 'good' with cars has nothing to do with it," he continued after a few seconds, looking over at me. "Any idiot can figure out how to change oil, rotate tires, even put in a new battery… What I want to know is how two young guys, who barely managed to graduate from high school, are running a garage without the place going bankrupt."

"We do okay," I answered, not really wanting to get into it. Joe just wouldn't let it go, though.

"Mind telling me the specifics?" he asked. "Have to say, it seems shady… And I have a responsibility to check things out, you know? Who's your parole officer, by the way?"


	39. Join the Party

"You gonna stick by me?

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

Dom, Leon, Amber, Mia and me had become sort of a little family, gotten closer than ever over the summer. We had a routine, we knew each other, we had a secret to keep… Everything changed, though, when Vince got home.

"Fuck," I muttered as I walked in the front door of Dom's place. The whole house reeked of booze and sweat, and I wasn't at all surprised to find Vince sprawled out across the couch, surrounded by empty beer bottles. The two chicks were kind of a surprise, though, if only 'cause they were making out with each other while Vince watched.

"Hey girl, why don't you come join the party?" he asked, lighting a cigarette.

I'd spent all morning in the garage with Dom, trying to figure out why the fuck his car was making this god-awful knocking noise every time he shifted into third gear. We had no clue what was causing it, and so Dom hadn't raced in three weeks. I was covered in grease, between the races and Dom I'd gotten barely four hours of sleep the night before, I was irritated with Dom's car, and in absolutely no mood to put up with Vince's bullshit. All I wanted was to relax for a few minutes, take a shower, and then have a nap while Dom and Mia got the barbecue ready for dinner.

"You better put that shit out before Mia comes in," I told Vince, ignoring his question. "You know how much she hates it when people smoke in the house."

"Mia can kiss my ass," Vince said, his voice muffled by the cigarette in his mouth. "Now come on, Letty, baby… You know you want a piece of this action," he continued, leaning forward and rubbing his hand over Marcy's ass.

"When are you gonna stop living in a fantasy world, Vince?" I asked, glaring at him.

"C'mon Letty, why you always gotta be such a fucking prude?" Vince asked, smirking at me. "You don't fuck the boys…you don't fuck the girls… Why don't you let somebody - **anybody** - get in there and just fuck you senseless already? Release some of that tension, make you less of a bitch… Or you still holding out for Dom? Hoping he'll decide he wants your pussy? Trust me, honey…it ain't gonna happen, not with you lookin' like that…"

"Why you always gotta be such a fucking asshole, Vince?" I interrupted him, storming out onto the porch.

Vince had been acting weird towards me ever since he got out of juvie. Complete fucking asshole… Every time I turned around he was making some disgusting comment, suggesting people that I should fuck. If I hadn't known better, I never would've believed he was the same guy who swore he'd protect me after Dom got sent to Lompoc. It was like somewhere during the time he'd been gone he'd decided that he hated me…


	40. Away From Her

"You gonna stick by me?

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

As soon as I got out of Mia's car and saw Letty sitting on the porch, I knew something was wrong. And, since Vince's car was in the driveway, I knew he prolly had something to do with it.

"What'd he do this time?" I asked as she walked up to me, not sure I really wanted to know. I could barely keep track of all the fights Letty and Vince had gotten into since he'd been home.

"Just his same old shit," she answered, leaning against the hood of the car. She didn't touch me, didn't even brush her arm against me, and so I knew there were people at the house.

Just once, I wanted to be able to touch Letty any time I wanted to, without having to worry about who might see us. I wanted all the bullshit with Julie to be over, wanted my life back to normal.

Things hadn't been so bad, over the summer. Letty and I just had to be careful at the races. But the rest of the time, at home and at the garage, we could act normal. At least until Vince got home, and started bringing all of his chicks around. Then it was like the races were going on all the time, people constantly in and out. Which meant that Letty and I had to be on our guard all the time - at my place, at Leon's, everywhere.

"Fuck, Dom," she muttered a few seconds later, looking over at me. "I don't know how much more of him I can take…"

"It'll be okay, baby," I answered. "Why don't you just go upstairs, get cleaned up, rest before dinner. I'll take care of Vince…tomorrow. I want today to just be about us…I miss us…miss just spending time with you…"

"Okay," she sighed, turning to walk inside.

Letty was quiet…subdued. That worried me. Usually she'll bitch at anyone, for any reason, give back a million times worse than she gets. It's only when Letty's really upset that she doesn't say anything at all.

"You asleep?" I asked softly, walking into her room nearly an hour later.

Letty was sprawled across the bed, on top of the covers, wearing a tank top and a pair of my sweats. Her hair was still wet, the water slowly seeping into her shirt.

"Nah," she muttered, turning her face towards me. "Just resting."

"Took your shower without me, huh?" I laughed, sitting next to her on the bed as I ran my hands over her back.

"Yeah," she said, smiling back at me. Teasing, she continued, "Figured you'd joined in on Vince's little orgy or something, you took so long getting up here…"

"Sure, that's exactly what I was doing," I said, kissing her shoulder as I leaned over her, massaging her back. "Vince would really go for that…"

"Well, you know, if he can't get one of us to join in, might as well get the other, right?" she muttered, turning her face into the pillow.

"What?" I asked, not sure what she was talking about. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, Dom," Letty said as she rolled over onto her back to face me.

"Letty," I said softly, reaching down to stroke her face, "I have no clue **what** you're talking about. Did Vince say something to you? About wanting you to…?" I couldn't even finish the thought.

"Yeah, like he doesn't say some shit like that to me every single day," Letty snorted. "Not that he's interested or anything…just to annoy me… Like I'm some whore…"

"I'm going to kill him," I muttered, clenching the sheets in my fists.

"Can it wait till tomorrow?" Letty asked, smiling up at me. "'Cause I'd kinda like to get the rest of that massage now…"

"I guess," I said, trying to relax. I wanted to hit something though. Anything…but preferably Vince's face. I couldn't believe he'd been practically living at my house, eating my food, drinking my beer, and talking shit to my girlfriend.

I didn't know exactly what Vince thought Letty and I were. Still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him and explain everything that'd happened with Johnny. But I thought any idiot who spent as much time around us as Vince did would've noticed that **something** was going on with the two of us. 'Course, Vince hasn't ever been much smarter than your average idiot…

"Dom…" Letty said after a minute or two, sounding a little impatient. "Massage…now…"

"Okay, okay," I laughed, forcing myself to stop thinking about Vince and how good it was going to feel to beat the shit out of him.

"Better?" I asked a few minutes later, running my hands over her skin one more time.

"Yeah," she sighed, rolling onto her back.

We didn't talk for a while, just sat there looking at each other.

"You know what I saw today, when I dropped Mia off?" I asked a few minutes later, breaking the silence.

"What?" Letty asked, pulling me down to her as she moved onto her side, facing me.

"There was a little girl," I murmured, "just running around on the grass, playing. Looked like she was seven, maybe eight years old. Long dark hair that just…shone when the sun hit it…dark eyes… She looked just like you did when you were little. She could have been ours…"

"Poor kid," Letty laughed, "if she looked like I did…"

"No, she was beautiful," I replied, reaching over to run my hand through her hair, loving the feel of its cool, damp weight against my skin. "Just like you."

"Okay Dom," she said, still laughing. "You're crazy, you know that? Or you're getting Alzheimer's or something already… 'Cause…I was **not** a cute little kid…"

"Yes you were," I protested, moving my hand down her side to rest against the slight dip of her waist, my fingers brushing against her hipbone. "You were beautiful… You've always been beautiful."

"Now **that** sounds like you're trying to flatter your way into my pants…" Letty said, smirking at me as she pushed her hands up under my shirt.

"Well…" I grinned back at her, feeling myself starting to get hard as she lightly ran her nails over my chest. "Wasn't exactly planning on it, but I wouldn't say no…"

"Good. 'Cause I want you. Now."

Within about five seconds, I'd pulled Letty's shirt off, rolled her onto her back, and moved above her. I leaned down to kiss her collarbone, flicking my fingertips across her nipple. She squirmed underneath me a little, ran her hands over the back of my head. After a minute or two, she moved her hands to the top of my head, trying to push me down her body.

"Impatient, huh?" I growled, raising my head to look at her.

"Not impatient," she replied, smiling. "Just…ready."

"So…impatient, huh?" I repeated.

"Yeah, okay, whatever…" Letty laughed before pulling my face down to her. "Now," she whispered against my ear, before pausing to kiss my neck. "I love you…but if you don't get on with this already, I'm going to have to kill you."

I laughed, kissed her once, long and hard, drawing out every second she would give me before moving down her body. My tongue traced a lazy trail across her chest, stopping at her collarbone and the very top of her tit before taking her nipple into my mouth. My hand moved from Letty's hip to her thigh as I slid over so I was lying next to her again. I brushed tiny, invisible patterns into her skin until I felt her body shudder beneath me, searching for more. I sank my fingers into her as she arched up to meet me, my teeth lightly grazing her skin.

I was a little surprised when I felt Letty stiffening underneath me, her nails digging into my arms. "Damn," I thought to myself, "she wasn't kidding when she said she was ready…" But when I realized she was trying to push me **away** from her…


	41. She's My Everything

"You gonna stick by me?

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Yo, Letty," I heard Vince say from somewhere far away. "You awake? That Miguel guy's on the phone for you again…you wanna talk to him, or should I tell him he's never gonna get into your pants so he might as well stop calling here?"

"I'm gonna fucking kill them," I thought to myself. I just couldn't decide who was going to die first - Vince or Miguel.

I started pushing against Dom's shoulders, trying to get him off of me, but he didn't move. Prolly thought I was wanting more of him or something… Which I was, actually, until I heard Vince fumbling with the doorknob and realized he wasn't gonna just go away.

"God," I muttered, digging my nails into Dom's skin, still trying to get his attention. "Get the fuck **off** of me, Dom!"

"What?" he asked as looked up at me, confused.

"Vince-" was all I had time to say before the door was open.

Dom was up and off the bed almost before I realized he'd moved at all, standing in front of me as I scrambled to find my top.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Vince demanded, his voice loud and angry.

"Vince," Dom said, trying to calm him down, "it's okay. Just… Go wait downstairs, and I'll be there in a minute, I'll explain…"

"Explain?" Vince interrupted. "I don't know if I want to hear the explanation for this. Damn, Letty… Have to say, I never thought you'd let yourself just be turned into Dom's whore… Something he keeps around the house when nothing at the races interests him, huh?"

"You need to shut the fuck up!" Dom roared, and for a second I thought he was gonna hit Vince.

"What?" Vince roared right back, getting up in Dom's face. "You gonna try and tell me I'm wrong?"

"You **are** wrong!" Dom shouted, not backing up. "You think Letty's just my whore? Just someone I keep around to fuck when I can't find anything better? You don't know shit, Vince."

"What the hell is she, then?" Vince demanded, like it was any of his business. "What the fuck **is** she to you?" he repeated, pushing Dom with every word. "'Cause it sure as hell **looks** like she's just your whore!"

At that, Dom reached out and grabbed Vince, started choking him.

"Dom," I said as Vince's face started turning red. Dom didn't move, just kept his hands locked around Vince's throat.

"Dom!" I repeated, getting up off the bed as Vince started turning purple. "Let go of him already!"

Dom didn't move until I was standing right next to him, my hands around his wrists, trying to pull him away from Vince. For the second time that day my nails dug into his skin, and like before, it seemed to bring him back to reality. His hands dropped to his sides, leaving Vince hunched over, panting heavily as he tried to get his breath back.

"You wanted to know what Letty is to me?" Dom demanded. "She's…" he continued, his voice suddenly quiet. "She's my everything."

"Yeah?" Vince asked, looking over at me before turning back to Dom, trying to act like he wasn't breathing heavy anymore. "You know, man, you got a pretty fucked up way of showing that…"

Dom didn't say anything, just rubbed his hand over his head like he always does when he's frustrated. He took a step back, looked and me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

It **was** fucked up, the whole thing was. Dom having to act like he was fucking a different chick practically every week, me having to act like I didn't give a damn what he did. It was like we were actors, playing parts in our own lives, a different role for every situation. The player, the bitch, the leader, the tomboy… We could only be ourselves around each other, when we were alone. And even then, sometimes we still got caught up in our roles, couldn't quite figure out how to let go of them. Especially when we never knew when Vince would show up with one of his chicks and we'd have to go back to the act.

You know, people think secret relationships are romantic, all "Romeo and Juliet" and shit. They're wrong. Having to sneak around and hide how you feel, it sucks. Plus, everybody seems to forget that Romeo and Juliet ended up dead. Yeah, real fucking romantic.


	42. You Really Mean That?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

Somehow Letty managed to get Vince out of the room without me killing him. I still don't remember exactly how she did it. What I remember is her lips on mine, soft, tender…totally different from her usual impatience.

"You really mean that?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Mean what?" I replied, not quite knowing what she was talking about.

"What you told Vince… I'm your…everything?"

I almost laughed. "Yeah," I said, slowly, running my hands up her sides. "You are. Don't you know that? Don't you see it?"

"Yeah, I do," she replied, looking up at me. "It's just…you know, you never really **said** it before…"

"Well…I'm saying it now," I said as I brushed a stray piece of hair off of her face, letting my hand linger against her cheek. She turned, kissed my palm as I continued. "So…you gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…" she laughed, her voice muffled by my hand. "Only one thing you gotta do."

"Yeah?" I growled as Letty reached around me to grab my ass, knowing what she wanted. "And what would that be?"

"I think it's time you finished giving me that massage," she smirked as she pulled me towards the bed.


	43. Can We Talk?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Hey Letty, can we talk?" Vince asked as I walked into the house the week after Dom'd nearly killed him.

"Shit," I muttered to myself. I hadn't seen Vince since everything went down, and I didn't really want to, either.

"C'mon, girl…please?" he asked when I didn't say anything.

"Okay, fine," I sighed, shrugging. I figured I was gonna have to talk to Vince eventually, so I might as well get it over with.

"Can we…uh…can we go sit down or something?" he asked hesitantly. It was weird…the Vince I remembered never hesitated about anything. Made me think maybe he really was sorry about how he'd been treating me.

"Fine," I said shortly before following him into the back room and sitting down on the couch. Sorry or not, I was still annoyed with him.

Vince didn't say anything, just sat there on the couch next to me. It was like he wasn't sure where to start. He started cracking his knuckles, and I knew he was nervous.

"So…uh…" he finally said after he'd run out of bones in his hands. "I…uh… Well…"

"Vince!" I interrupted him. "Will you just say whatever it is you want to say already?"

"Uh…yeah…" he continued, looking over at me quickly. "I'm… I'm sorry. You know, for how I've been treating you and all… I've been a real dick."

"Yeah," I snorted. "Yeah, you have."

"Well, I was… I was wrong."

"Why?"

"What?" Vince asked, looking over at me again.

"Why were you being such an asshole to me? I mean… Before you went to juvie, you were actually pretty decent to me…like we were maybe friends, even… So what happened? What'd I do?"

"You didn't do anything…" Vince said slowly. "It was all me…just me being stupid. I saw you and Dom together one night…kissing… And then at the races, I saw him all over the girls there… I just… I thought he was using you, taking advantage. I mean, we all knew you had a huge crush on him before…"

"Oh, **that's** great," I groaned to myself.

"So," he continued, "I thought Dom was playing you, and that's what got me pissed off and made me act like an idiot. And then with the thing in your room…it just pushed me over the edge…"

"Okay," I said, "I can understand that… But why'd you take it all out on **me**?"

"I just… I never thought you would grow up to be stupid enough to let anyone use you like that, you know? Didn't think you would let yourself be played… And I guess… I was pissed that you grew up to be like that, to be just another slut. Pissed that you let it happen to yourself. And part of me was just pissed at myself, 'cause I wasn't around to **keep** it from happening…"

I didn't know whether to hug Vince or smack him then. "That's almost sweet," I said slowly. "Completely fucked up, but still, almost sweet…"

"Yeah, I know that now," Vince replied, running his hand through his hair. "Dom told me everything that happened while I was gone, explained how it is with you guys, what you've had to do… Must've been hard, and all I did was make it worse."

"Yeah, well, can't really argue with that," I said, looking over at him and smiling.

"So… Think you can forgive me? Or am I gonna be on your shit list for the rest of my life?"

I didn't answer right away, cocked my head to the side like I was thinking about it. "Eh…I guess I can forgive you…" I finally said.

"Good," Vince replied as he got up. He walked towards the door but stopped just short of it, turned back to me and said, "So I see you finally got your 240-SX, huh? What'd Dom think of that?"

Shit," I laughed, "Dom's the one who got it for me!"

"Damn, girl, what've you done to him?" Vince said, grinning at me. "No…wait… I don't think I want to know…"

With that, he left. And just like that, things were fine between me and Vince again. He went back to treating me like his kid sister, stopped bringing all the random sluts around Dom's place, and it was almost like none of the other shit had ever happened at all.


	44. Admit It Already

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"You want to tell me what the fuck is going on with the court calling me and saying they need to know my due date so they can schedule some paternity test? And me not being allowed to put your name on the birth certificate?"

"Can't we cut this shit already?" I sighed into the phone. "What? Oh come on, Julie… You and I both know that that kid is **not** mine. Why don't you just admit it already?"

"It **is** your kid, Dom," she insisted, her voice hard. "Why won't you just admit **that** already?"

"This is crazy," I muttered, running my hand across my face, rubbing my eyes as if that would get rid of the headache I could feel coming on. "You are fucking insane, you know that?"

"C'mon, Dom," she sighed heavily. "Can't you just…let go of this? Please? It would make all of this so much easier…"

"Easier for **who**?" I laughed. "Definitely not easier for **me**… For **you**, maybe…for whoever the father actually is… Does he even know?"

"I can't… Dammit, Dom…can't you just do this **one** thing for me?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It's just a name on a fucking piece of paper. It doesn't **mean** anything!"

I actually shook my head, like she was right there talking to me. "No. I'm sorry, Jules… I really am. But I can't do this. My name on that piece of paper means that Johnny's gonna try to dictate what I can and can't do with the rest of my life, means he's gonna keep trying to hurt me and the people I love. And it's not fair to the kid, when he gets older, to let him think I'm his dad when I'm not."

"Please…" she said, her voice cracking. "Johnny'll get over all this shit… You wouldn't have to do **anything**. I'll make sure he leaves you alone…"

"And how the hell do you think you'd be able to do that?" I demanded. I felt like a total asshole for yelling at her, but I had to, you know? There wasn't any other way to get through to her.

"I'll figure something out!" she insisted. "If you would just cooperate for once in your fucking life and not make this harder than it already is…"

"You're the one making things hard," I argued. "This is all you…don't try to make me the bad guy here. I'm giving you a choice. Either tell the truth, or have the court tell it for you. Did you think I was gonna just sit back and let you get away with this? You don't know me at all, if you did. There's no way in hell my name is going on that birth certificate. No way. I've been nice - **more** than nice… I've given you time, thought you'd come to your senses and admit what you've been doing before the kid was born. But hell, you must be just about ready to have it, and you're still telling the same story… You didn't give me any choice."

"You are such a fucking bastard," Julie said quietly before hanging up the phone.


	45. New Best Friend

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

Halfway through October, I got a friend. Or a stalker - I'm not really sure which you'd call her.

"What do you want?" Mr. Garcia barked when the classroom door opened, halfway through third period English.

"I'm…uh…I'm new here," a girl said, walking up to his desk and handing him something - probably her schedule.

"New?" Mr. Garcia grumbled to himself, as he grabbed the piece of paper. "The office didn't tell me anything about a new student…bastards…"

Everyone in the class laughed as the girl just looked at Mr. Garcia, her mouth practically hanging open in shock. Well, almost everyone. I just went back to reading. Mr. Garcia had been teaching at Jefferson for nearly forty years, and he hated everyone in the office, from the principal down to the student TAs. I don't think even he knew exactly **why** he hated them, it'd all started so long ago.

"Fine," Mr. Garcia continued a minute later, looking over his seating chart. "You can sit…let's see. How about…no, that won't work… Okay. In the back, next to Leticia."

I looked up again as the girl walked towards me, a little more interested in her now that I knew she was gonna be sitting next to me for a while. Almost immediately I decided that, if they were single, Dom wouldn't fuck her, and Leon might. And Vince would fuck her whether he had a girlfriend or not. He's never really gotten the concept of monogamy.

She sat down, and I went back to reading my magazine - "Engine Builder." But I could feel her staring at me, leaning towards me like she was trying to read over my shoulder or something. I tried to ignore her, but eventually it just got too creepy. I finally looked up and she opened her mouth like she was going to say something. But I just glared at her, wondering how fucking stupid she was to not get the hint that I wasn't interested in being her new best friend.

She finally looked away, right before the bell rang. I don't think I've ever been as happy to get out of English… The girl was just weird, and I hoped she wasn't gonna be in any of my other classes.

"Hey," someone said as they slid into the seat next to me in Auto Shop later that day. I flicked my eyes over and groaned - it was her again. "I'm Jamie," she continued. "You're Leticia, right?"

I didn't answer.

"Uhm… Hola, yo soy Jamie. Tu eres Leticia, verdad?"

"You're wasting your time," Miguel laughed as he walked up to the table. "Leticia no habla español."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Jamie stuttered. "She didn't answer me before, so I thought maybe she didn't understand me…"

"I **am** sitting right here, you know," I finally said, rolling my eyes.

"Okay guys, we're going to start our group projects today," Mr. Lozano announced as the bell rang. "So get with your partners, and I'll come around and tell you what your topic is going to be."

"So, you into cars?" Miguel asked Jamie as we sat there waiting for Loz to get to us.

"No, not really," she answered. "Actually, I don't know **anything** about cars…"

"Nothing?" Loz asked as he walked up behind her. "Now, that's just a shame… But you sure picked the right table to sit at… These two could probably teach the class without me."

"Really?" Jamie asked, looking at Miguel and me like we'd just saved her life or something.

"Yep," Loz replied. "You know…why don't you work with Leticia and Miguel. That should get you up to speed quick enough. That good with you two?" he asked, looking at Miguel and then at me.

"Yeah, that's cool," Miguel answered. I just rolled my eyes. Just what I needed - having to work on a project with weird psycho girl.

"Okay then," Loz said, "you guys are going to talk about the mechanical differences between older and newer cars. I want you to interview at least three mechanics and see which they prefer, and then draw a conclusion on what we should do to adapt to the new technology."

"Oh God," I thought to myself. "This has to be the **dumbest** thing Loz has ever asked us to do. I looked over at Miguel and I could tell he felt the same way.

"Well," he said, looking back at me as Loz walked away, "at least it won't be too hard to find mechanics to interview. Hector, Leon, and…"

"And Dom," I finished.

"Dom?" Miguel asked, raising his eyebrows. "Really? You guys are cool? You won't get upset or anything, talking to him?"

"Why would I get upset?" I asked.

"Well…you know…" he said slowly, looking down at the table. "All that shit that went down and all…"

"Damn, Miguel," I laughed, trying to play it off. "You act like Dom was the love of my life or something. He's just a guy. Besides, that was **months** ago. And, he's a mechanic...a damn good one. So, unless you want to go hunting down someone **else** to interview…"

"Okay, okay, fine," he said, looking back up at me. "Hector, Leon and Dom."

"We can start today, if you two aren't busy," I said, wanting to get the stupid project over with as soon as possible.

"Yeah, that works for me," Miguel answered. "How 'bout you, Jamie?"

"Hey, I just moved here," she laughed. "I have no plans. I just need to be home by six."

"Okay, we'll go harass Leon and Dom after school gets out, then."

"Yeah…and I think Hector's not too busy today, so maybe we can get this all over with now," Miguel added.

"Sounds good," I said, just as Loz started talking again at the front of the room.

"Okay," he announced, "now I want to go over all the requirements for this project and make sure everyone understands what I want…"


	46. At Least You Knew

"God, I thought I was gonna die in there," I groaned as the three of us walked out of class after the bell finally rang.

"You thought **you** were gonna die?" Jamie laughed. "At least you knew what he was talking about… What the hell is an intercooler, anyways?"

"Well…"

"Never mind," she interrupted, "I don't even wanna know."

Miguel and I just laughed.

"Whose car is **that**?" Jamie asked as we walked through the parking lot.

"What d'you think of it?" Miguel asked, not answering her question.

"Is it yours?"

"Mine? It's **purple**!" he practically shouted.

"Oh, come on, Miguel," I teased. "You know you've always wanted a purple car… He **wishes** this were his car," I continued, turning to Jamie.

"Whose is it, then?" she asked again as we walked up alongside the car.

"Mine," I said, grinning as I unlocked the door.

"Really?" she asked, getting in. "Did you do all the work on it yourself, or did you buy it like this?"

"Buy it like this?" I laughed. "Girl, do you even know how much it would cost to **buy** a car like this?"

"Uhm…no…" Jamie answered slowly.

"Nah, I didn't buy it like this. Did all the work myself."

"All the work yourself…yeah, right," Miguel added, smirking at me. "I'll make sure to tell Leon you said that…"

"Okay, okay," I hurriedly said. "With some help from my cousin and my…my ex."

"Still, pretty impressive…" Jamie said, looking around.

"Yeah, whatever…" Miguel smirked.

"You need to shut the fuck up, unless you want to walk the rest of the way," I said, glaring at him.

For once Miguel actually listened to me. He didn't say another word until we were pulling into the driveway of Hector's garage.

"Okay…I'll see you in about an hour or so," he said as he climbed out of the backseat.

After we dropped Miguel off, the car got pretty quiet. Jamie kept trying to start up conversations, asking how long I'd lived in LA, if I had any brothers or sisters, shit like that, but I only gave her short answers. Just didn't feel like doing all the small talk bullshit…I never have been all that good at it anyways.

"So uh…here we are," I finally said as we pulled up to the garage and I parked the car.


	47. Who Is This?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Hey, Letty just pulled up," Vince called out from the office.

"Thanks man," I answered, pulling myself out from under the car I'd been working on - a brand new Pontiac Grand Am. "I wanted to talk to her…tell her what I found out about going to court and all…"

"Well…you might have to wait to do that…she's got some chick with her…"

"Shit…" I muttered, walking up to Vince. "That's just great… I'll be so fucking glad when all this shit is over and done with…"

Letty and the other girl walked into the garage just then, and I headed back to work while Vince went up to meet them.

"Well now, who is **this**?" I heard Vince ask, using his 'I know you wanna fuck me' tone. I had to laugh…as obvious as it is, that voice has worked for him more times than I can count. "Letty, you never told me you had such a gorgeous friend…"

"Letty?" the girl asked, sounding confused.

"It's a nickname, don't call me that," Letty said quickly, before answering Vince. "V, this is Jamie… Jamie, this is Vince. Just ignore him."

"Aw, c'mon Letty," Vince laughed. "Why ya gotta shut down my game like that?"

"Hmm…maybe 'cause it's weak?"

"Really, though, what're you doing with Letty?" Vince continued. "I didn't think she knew any girls…well, not except for Mia…"

"We're…working on a project for auto shop…" Jamie said slowly, like she didn't quite know what to think of Vince.

"Yeah," Letty added, "Loz gave us another one of his dumb ass presentations… Miguel's gonna be by in about half an hour so we can work on it. We have to interview three mechanics, so we're gonna talk to Leon and Dom now, and then Hector's prolly gonna come by later so we can bug him too, get this shit all taken care of today."

"What?" Vince protested. "You mean you don't want to interview **me**?"

"You're not a mechanic, V…" Letty sighed. I had to laugh. Truthfully, Vince was about as far from being a mechanic as you could get… He could change oil, but asking him to do anything more complicated than that just wasn't a good idea.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever… So," he said, turning back to the girl, "you like cars?"

"Well…not really all that much," she answered. "I mean…they're okay, I guess… I just got put into auto shop 'cause there weren't any other open electives."

"Don't like cars…now **that** is a shame," Vince teased. "We'll have to see what we can do to change that…"

"Uhm…sure…"

"Well… Letty, you said Miguel isn't gonna be here for half an hour, right?" Vince asked.

"Right...so?"

"So, why don't I take Jamie for a quick ride, and see if we can't start changing her mind about cars…" he continued, putting his arm around Jamie's shoulder and walking her towards the door.

"But…what about Leticia?" she protested, turning back to Letty, looking slightly panicked.

"Oh, she'll be fine…" Vince smirked. "I'm sure she'll find something to do…"

"Are you sure?" Jamie asked as Vince gently pushed her towards the door, his hand on the small of her back.

Letty just stood there watching until Vince's car turned the corner and was out of sight. "Well…" she muttered to herself, "wonder why Vince was in such a hurry to get out of here…"

"I think he's still trying to get back on your good side," I laughed, stepping out of the shadows.

"Christ, Dom!" Letty yelled as she turned to face me. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Well…where **else** would I be?"

"I don't know," she said as she walked up and hugged me. "Didn't you have to go to court today or meet with that lawyer guy Mia found or something like that?"

"No," I answered. "That's tomorrow. Julie called, though. She got the papers for the paternity test."

"And?"

"And what?" I teased, knowing exactly what she was asking.

"Well how did it go? What'd she say? Tell me, already!" she demanded, lightly pounding her fists against my chest.

"Eh…Julie is not pleased," I said, laughing at her a little.

"I **know** you're gonna tell me more than that…" she growled after I didn't say anything else.

"What, are you gonna make me?"

She just stared at me for a few minutes. "Fine," she finally said, "don't tell me."

"I'll tell you what happened," I said, wrapping my arms around her, a little disappointed that she'd given up so easily. "Just…later. When we're alone."

"We **are** alone, Dom!" she said, pushing me backwards. "Although," she added after a few seconds, pressing her body against mine, "maybe you already realized that…"

"Now?" I asked, running my hands down her back to cup her ass.

"Well…they're not gonna be back for a while… Might as well take advantage of you while I can, right?"

I didn't say anything, just moved my hands up underneath her shirt, running my nails lightly across her skin. I reached around to fondle the sides of her tits before moving back down her body. Grabbing her ass, I pulled her closer to me, pressed her right up against my dick. Finally, I picked her up, pushing her shirt out of the way with one hand as I brought her belly up to my face. I licked her stomach lightly, running my tongue flat against her skin, before setting her on the hood of a nearby car. I quickly pulled her shirt off before burying my face in her neck, suckling at her skin there before moving up to her mouth.

"How long do we have now?" I asked, pulling back from her slightly.

"Long enough," she answered, breathless.


	48. You Like Vince?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Hey!" Jamie said to me the next day in the parking lot before school.

"Hi…" I replied, slowly. Yeah, okay, so it didn't seem like she was actually the psychotic bitch I'd thought she was. It'd almost been fun, working on that dumb project with her and Miguel. She hadn't been kidding when she'd said she didn't know anything about cars…hell, that was an understatement! But I still didn't know if I could trust her.

"What's up?" I asked when she didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Well…umm…"

"Lemme guess," I groaned. "You think Dom is the hottest thing on earth and you want to know everything there is to know about him…"

"Dom?" she cried, interrupting me.

"Not Dom?"

"No!" she laughed. "He kinda looks like a rat, don't you think?"

"A rat? Okay…" I muttered, wondering what drugs she was on and what the hell else she could possibly want. "What, then?"

"Well…I was kind of wondering about that guy…"

"Leon?"

"No…" she said slowly.

"Hector?"

"Not him…"

"Not…Miguel?"

"No!" she exclaimed, jerking her head up and finally looking at me.

"Okay," I muttered to myself. "What other guy **is** there? Have to warn you, I don't know much about anybody at school except for Miguel… Someone in our English class? Or in Loz's class maybe? You aren't lusting after **Loz** are you? The man is like fifty…"

"No!" Jamie shrieked. "That is just…disgusting! And no one from school…"

"Who the hell are you talking about, then?" I wondered, thinking aloud. "Not Dom, not Leon, not Hector, not Miguel… Unless you met someone when Vince took you out yesterday… Weird, he didn't say anything about seeing anyone… He didn't race with you in the car, did he? If he did anything stupid, just let me know, and I'll kick the shit out of him for you."

Jamie didn't say anything, just looked back down at her feet.

"Oh my fucking God!" I yelled, not quite believing what I was thinking. "You're… You mean… Vince! You like Vince? You like Vince! Oh my fucking God!"

I didn't say anything else, waiting for her to tell me I was wrong…but she didn't.

"Really?" I asked, after a few minutes of silence. "Vince?" I couldn't stop laughing. Just the thought of someone digging Vince…it was too much.

"Yeah…" Jamie said eventually. "I… He's not… Are you two…?"

"What?!"

"Well…" she said slowly, "I figured, you know, when you didn't mention him…that, well…maybe the two of you had something going on…"

"I ought to beat the shit out of you just for **thinking** that," I said, gasping for breath.

"Oh…sorry," she said after a few minutes. "So…what's wrong with Vince? He married? Gay? What?"

"No, he's not married," I laughed. "And definitely **not** gay… He's just… Well, he's just **Vince**!"

"He's **hot**!" Jamie said, blushing.

"Oh God…" I moaned. "I'm just going to pretend I never heard you say that…"

"So…" she went on, "does he have a girlfriend?"

"Vince? A girlfriend?" I sputtered. "Vince **never** has a girlfriend. Vince has girls that he fucks. Not girlfriends."

"Oh…" she said, actually sounding disappointed. "So…he never like…stays with the same girl? At all?"

I finally managed to stop laughing as I thought about her question. "Lemme see…there was this one girl, when Vince was a freshman, I guess? Jenny, I think her name was… Anyways, Vince was **crazy** about her. They were together for a long time, almost the whole year..." I trailed off, remembering what Vince had been like back then.

"What happened?"

"Well…I guess Jenny just decided Vince wasn't good enough for her one day. She started dating this other guy…some jock on the basketball team. But she didn't **tell** V she wanted to break up…she just went behind his back and started cheating on him. Oh…there was a **huge** fight when Vince found out what was going on… Vince and Dom against the whole basketball team. I remember they almost got expelled… It was pretty bad. And Jenny told him all kinds of shit…like she'd never really cared about him at all, he was just a distraction while she was waiting for something better to come along. Really fucked Vince up…he was depressed for **months** after that. Barely talked to anyone, not even Dom. When he finally got out of it, he was different. I mean…not **completely** different or anything… But, when it came to girls, yeah. Stayed with a chick just until she'd fuck him, then he was on to someone else. He was a **total** slut. Still is, really. Not as much since he's been home, but…"

"Since he's been home?" Jamie echoed, interrupting me.

I couldn't really believe I was just telling Jamie all this shit about Vince. I mean, I barely knew her. But, I could tell she was into Vince…she actually **liked** him. And I guess some part of me decided that it was about time he got over Jenny and stayed with one chick for longer than a week. Plus, if I found someone for Vince, it'd mean less girls coming around the house thinking Dom was up for grabs…

"What…was he abducted by aliens or something?" she went on. "Spent the last five years living in the jungles of South America with some pygmy tribe? On the road with the circus? In a cave somewhere, maybe?"

"What?" I asked, laughing to myself a little. "Nah…he got into some trouble after Dom got arrested. Spent the last few years in juvie, just got out in August."

"Oh." She was quiet for a few minutes before continuing. "So…what'd he do?"

"Eh…nothing big… Got wasted one night, went out and boosted a car, completely wrecked it. Crashed into a storefront, wrecked that too… Really shouldn't have been away for as long as he was, but his step-dad's a cop, and just a complete dick. Decided Vince needed to be taught a lesson, or some shit like that."

Jamie didn't say anything after that, and we just stood there in silence again. It was kind of weird, though. I mean…it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, like you'd expect with a virtual stranger. It was comfortable, like we'd known each other since kindergarten or something.

"Hey," I said after a few minutes, "Dom's having kind of a party Saturday night…Vince'll be there. You wanna go?"

"Uhm…sure, that sounds great," she said slowly. "The only thing is… Well, my parents are really strict. They don't let me stay out after like ten. So…I'd have to spend the night or something."

"God," I thought to myself. "This had better be worth it." I just don't do slumber parties.

"Uhm…okay, we can do that," I said, reaching up to brush a piece of hair away from my face.

"And…well…they'd have to like…meet someone, or talk to them at least…they're **very** big on knowing the adult in charge of things… Maybe your mom could stop by my house sometime this week and talk to my mom? Just like…reassure her?"

"Heh," I laughed. "Yeah, if your mom wanted to talk to a crack whore… And if I'd spoken to my mom at all in the past year… What about Leon? He's pretty good at looking responsible…"

"Uhm…how old is he again?"

"Twenty," I answered, after thinking for a second or two. "He'll be twenty-one in May…"

"Okay… No offense or anything, but I don't think they'd be impressed."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that…" I muttered. "Lemme think… I guess I could ask my aunt to do it… But she's pretty busy with work, I don't know if she'd have time. Plus, she wouldn't lie to your mom… Not like she'd just offer information, but…she wouldn't try to hide that I stay with Leon. She's proud of him, you know? Proud of all of us, actually. And once she got started talking about Leon, she'd start talking about the **rest** of us… And then your mom would figure out that the only 'adult supervision' I get on a regular basis is from the guys and Mia. And I'm sure **that** would go over great."

"Oh, I'm sure…" she laughed.

"Yeah, I can see it now. There's Dom, who's not only my b - my **ex**-boyfriend but would also still be in jail if he hadn't of gotten out early… Vince, who just got out of juvie and doesn't even really have a job or anything… You know, Leon's the only one of them who's never been in jail…and that's only because he's never gotten caught at anything so far… And Mia, well… she's a 'good' girl, but she's still only nineteen… They'd prolly think of her as a kid… Damn, but I never realized how hard it is to have parents who actually give a shit about what you do!"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Jamie sighed, leaning her head against her hands. "God, my life sucks."

"Okay," I said, ignoring her self-pity. "What if I came over to your place a few times after school this week…today and Wednesday, maybe? We're not too busy at the garage, they should be able to manage without me for a couple days. And then, we can have Mia call and pretend like she's older… Or just say she's the adult in charge…they might not even ask how old she is, right? People **always** think she's older than she really is. Well, least until they see her drive…"

"You know…" Jamie said slowly, finally lifting her head up off of her arms, "that just might work…"


	49. Why Do You Care?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Okay, so that's all I need to do until after the kid's born?" I asked, pushing my chair back from the desk.

"Right," Thomas answered as he stood up. "I'll keep in touch, let you know if anything else comes up."

"Thanks," I said, shaking his hand before I walked out of the office.

I still couldn't believe this was all really happening, couldn't believe I was actually in this situation. Also couldn't help but compare Thomas to the **last** lawyer I'd had…

His name'd been Larry… Forty-something year old white guy who looked like he was pushing sixty, one of those guys who starts out thinking he's gonna save the world and ends up dying of a heart-attack the day after retirement 'cause he's spent so many years stressing about how to make enough money to feed the kids and keep the wife from bitching at him.

Larry told me that he didn't care if I was guilty, innocent, whatever. All he wanted was to get done with my case as soon as possible. And he did. Simple guilty plea, and just like that I was sentenced to five years, without really knowing what was happening.

Thomas was different. He was young, just a few years out of law school. Taught a couple classes at Mia's college. She was in one of them…ethics or something like that. Mia got to talking to him about the situation, asking if he knew any good lawyers who wouldn't be too expensive, and he volunteered to take the case for free. Still not really sure why…prolly just 'cause he had the hots for Mia and wanted to get on her good side. But he was a pretty decent lawyer.

I was practically on auto-pilot the whole drive home, thinking over what Thomas had told me about the whole process. I tried not to get frustrated about how long it was all taking, tried to just relax and wait for things to happen, but I couldn't help being nervous. Imagine, me willingly talking to a judge. Never thought **that** would happen…

The garage was dark when I drove up, and I wondered where the hell everyone was, since it was just barely seven. Heard a car driving up as I walked in the door, but I didn't stop to see who it was. Figured it'd be Leon, coming back from some errand or another.

"Hey Dom," Letty sighed, her voice barely louder than the bells on the door.

"Hey," I answered, surprised to see her instead of Leon. "You just getting home?"

"Yeah," she grumbled, scowling a little. "I have had a **long** ass day…"

"What are you wearing?" I asked, walking up to her. Letty was dressed like it was the middle of winter or something… Well, like she was sixty years old and it was the middle of winter…

"Come on, Dom," she laughed. "These are **respectable** clothes…"

"And since when are you respectable? I didn't think you even **owned** any sweaters…"

"I don't," she sighed. "This is Jamie's."

"Jamie?" I asked, trying to place the name.

"You know, Jamie! The girl who was here yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah…okay. So how come you're wearing her sweater?"

Letty reached up, pulled the sweater off over her head before answering. A piece of hair came loose from her braid, and I noticed how perfect her hair looked - like she'd spent hours on it or something.

"Apparently Jamie's parents don't think girls should wear tank tops, or something…" she sighed.

"And…why do you care what Jamie's parents think girls should wear?" I asked, confused.

"Because they have to like me, if they're gonna let her stay over after the race Friday. Oh yeah, by the way, Jamie's staying over after the race. So, you know…have your guest room ready or something."

"Jamie's staying over after the race?" I echoed, still trying to figure out what was going on and why Letty was falling all over herself to be nice to this new chick.

"Yeah, she is. Well, assuming that Mia and me can convince her parents we aren't a bunch of criminals and that someone in the house is actually an adult…"

"Okay…" I said slowly. "Now…**why** is Jamie staying over?"

"She likes Vince."

"So you're what…Dr. Ruth, all of a sudden? Thought that was Mia's job…"

"Dom…" Letty growled, "don't you get it yet? She likes Vince. **Likes** him. Like, wants to be his girlfriend… God knows why, but she does. So…"

"So if she and Vince hook up, then maybe I'll get some actual time to spend with **my** girlfriend?"

"That would be the plan…"

"Hey, you know we're alone again…" I said, raising my eyebrows at Letty as I pulled her closer to me.


	50. Get His Attention

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Oh **hell** no!" Mia shrieked as Jamie walked out of the bathroom. "There is no way in hell you are going out looking like that, not with us…"

"What?" Jamie asked, looking down at her clothes. "What's wrong with this?"

"What's wrong with it?" Mia asked, looking like she thought Jamie was crazy. "**Everything** is wrong with it!"

All I could do was laugh… Mia'd just found her next project.

"What else do you have with you?" she asked, dragging Jamie into my room.

"Uhm…a pair of jeans and a couple t-shirts…"

"T-shirts?" Mia said, turning to glare at me like this was all somehow **my** fault. "Letty…didn't you **tell** her we were going to a race tonight?"

"I did!" I insisted. Last thing I wanted was Mia pissed at me…

"Yeah, she did…" Jamie added. "I just…I don't really have anything but jeans and t-shirts…"

"Okay, fine," Mia sighed, "we can fix this. Letty, go call Amber and see if she can meet us over at my place, wouldya? And ask her to bring her scissors and stuff."

"See," I heard her telling Jamie as I walked out of the room, "we don't want you looking **too** slutty, but Vince is Vince… So you're gonna have to show at least a **little** skin to get his attention."

An hour later, we were all crowded into Mia's room, she and Amber trying to figure out what to do with Jamie. I was actually pretty happy Jamie was there - for once, Mia wasn't fussing over **my** clothes.

"Okay," Amber said, hovering over Jamie with her scissors. "This isn't like, your favorite shirt or anything, is it?"

"What are you going to do to it?" Jamie asked, a little hesitantly. She still looked a little green around the edges… I prolly should've warned her about Mia's driving or something. Oh well.

"I think you should cut it…here…" Mia said thoughtfully, running her finger along Jamie's waist. "Not too short, but enough so there's some skin showing every so often… Vince likes that."

"Yeah, but he likes tits better…" I added.

"Okay," Amber mumbled, thinking aloud. "So we're gonna chop the sleeves, the neck, and the hem…"

"Oh, don't worry," I said, noticing the panicked look in Jamie's eyes as Amber started cutting. "She does this **all** the time."

"Yeah, I don't think Amber owns a single thing she hasn't done **something** to," Mia laughed. "Our own little Betsey Johnson…"

"Yeah, right…" Amber smirked. "Hey, Letty…go get me the pinking shears? I think they should be down in the back room…I left 'em here the other day when I was working on that stuff for Mia. Maybe on the table next to the tv?"

"Okay," I said, walking towards the door, trying to remember what the hell pinking shears looked like.

"Oh!" Mia added, "Bring some drinks up for us too, wouldya?"

"Fine," I sighed. "Your regular?"

"Yep, that'll work," she answered.

"You want anything Jamie?"

"Uhm…whatever you have is good," she said, still looking overwhelmed.

"Okay," I laughed, walking out.

I found the pinking-whatever easily enough, right where Amber said they would be. Picked them up, wandered into the kitchen, and stood in front of the open fridge for a few minutes, wondering how the hell I was gonna manage to carry four drinks plus the scissors upstairs all by myself.

"You hot or something?" Vince asked from behind me. I hadn't even heard him walk in.

"Godammit Vince!" I yelled as I nearly dropped the scissors on my foot. "Do you **always** have to sneak up on me?"

"Yeah.." he laughed. "Actually, I do. Tradition and all, you know."

Back when we were kids, Vince and I had this little game we'd always play with each other. Kind of like a no-holds barred, tackle version of hide and go seek. Except not exactly. Mostly it was Vince trying to scare the shit out of me by sneaking up behind me and grabbing me or yelling in my ear or something like that, and then me running after him trying to get him back for it. So maybe it was closer to tag… Anyways, when things finally settled down between us he'd gone right back to doing it, like he was always trying to make sure that we were still cool.

"Yeah, whatever…" I smirked, smacking his arm. "You know, one of these days you're gonna do that and I'm just gonna beat the shit out of you… Now, you wanna help me carry some stuff upstairs?"

"Why should I? Ain't Dom around to do that shit for you?"

"Vince…" I groaned. "Just do it, wouldya?"

"Okay, fine," he finally agreed.

"Good…here, take this…" I said, handing him one of Mia's wine coolers. I grabbed a Corona for myself, a Miller for Amber, and stood there for another minute, trying to decide what I should bring for Jamie. Finally, I told Vince to grab another Corona and another wine cooler, figuring if she didn't like the beer it would just be two for me.

Vince followed me up the stairs, nearly ran into me when I stopped right at the beginning of the hallway.

"Hey, V…" I said softly, in my sweetest voice. Which, granted, doesn't work nearly as well as Mia's, but I do well enough.

"What d'you want, Letty," he sighed, rolling his eyes at me.

"Could you do me a little favor at the race tonight?"

"What's that?" he asked slowly.

"Well…Jamie's gonna be there. So, could you like…kinda look after her?"

"What's she gonna be doing there?" he asked, sounding confused. "I thought she didn't like cars…"

"Yeah, well I guess you changed her mind when you took her out the other day."

"I don't know, Letty… I don't wanna spend the whole night babysitting your friend…"

"C'mon, V, **please**?" I begged. "It's not like you'll have to stick by her all night or anything. I mean, I'll be around, and Mia and Amber too… But I'm gonna be racing, and Amber'll prolly be with Leon most of the night. Just, you know…check on her every so often, make sure she's doing okay, Mia's not boring her to death, no guys are coming on too strong or anything…"

"Okay, fine," Vince sighed. "I guess I can do that. But you owe me!"

"Yeah, whatever V," I laughed as I walked into Mia's room. "Okay," I continued, handing Amber the scissors and her beer. "Here's your Miller…by the way, remind Dom to get some more for you before tonight, we're almost out."

"Now," I said, turning to Jamie, "I didn't know what you like, so I got you a Corona… But, if you don't like it, you can have some of Mia's…"

"Girly shit," Vince finished, laughing.

"Hey!" Mia protested, grabbing her drink out of Vince's hand. "This stuff is good!"

"Yeah, sure," I laughed.

"Uhm…" Jamie said slowly, trying not to move too much as Amber started cutting her shirt. "I'll take the Corona, I guess…"

"Excellent choice," Vince said, grinning at her before handing the bottle over.

"Okay V, now get out," I smiled, pushing him towards the door.

"Whatever, Let…" he grumbled as he walked out. "I'm gonna head over to the garage in a minute. You guys'll be over there after a while?"

"Yep," Mia answered as she dug through her closet.

"Don't get into too much trouble now," Vince laughed. "No lesbian orgies without me!"

He just barely missed getting hit in the head with one of Mia's shoes, and I could hear him laughing as he walked down the hall.

"God," Mia complained, "he's **such** an idiot!"

"But a gorgeous one…" Jamie sighed.

She was lucky Amber didn't gouge her with the scissors…and I think Mia nearly spit her drink halfway across the room.

"Hey, I **told** you guys she was crazy…" I laughed, taking another sip of my beer.

"So you really like Vince, huh?" Mia asked after she finally got to breathing normal again.

"Yeah…" Jamie sighed. "You know, the only thing I don't like about him is he doesn't like me…or at least, he doesn't **act** like he does…"

"Well," Amber said, smiling, "we can **definitely** get him to like you. The only question is, will you still like **him** once you get to know him better?"


	51. Line Up and Go

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

Hey Letty," I said, sliding into her car.

"Hey…what're you doing over here?" she asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Just wanted to see you before everything gets crazy," I said, reaching over to tug on her ponytail a little.

"Hey now," Letty said as she turned to face me. "Don't start…not till I'm done with this. I can't concentrate on driving if I'm lusting after you."

I couldn't help but laugh at her. "Now you know how it feels…"

"Hey, have you seen Jamie around?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I saw her over with Mia a few minutes ago I think. Why?"

"Just…making sure she's okay, you know?" Letty said slowly. "I think she's nervous about being here…she's never really done anything like this before. It's weird - I feel like I'm responsible for her or something."

"Yeah, responsible for her corruption…" I laughed. "I know what you mean, though. Don't worry 'bout it, we're all watching out for her. Especially Vince."

"Has he said anything to you about her?"

"Nah…not really," I answered, trying to force myself not to reach over and rub my hand down the length of her thigh, trying to hide my fascination with the skin left exposed by the laces that ran all the way down her leg. "But he's definitely interested…I saw him watching her when you all were at the garage."

Hector walked up right then, giving me a strange look like he was wondering what I was doing with Letty.

"Hey girl, you ready to do this?" he asked, leaning through the car window.

"You know it," Letty answered, smirking.

"Good luck," I said before I turned and got out of the car.

"Yeah, like I need luck…" she laughed as she drove up to the start.

"So…you two got a little something going on again?" Hector asked slowly as we walked behind Letty's car.

"Nah…" I said, leaving it at that. "Who's racin' tonight?"

Hector looked like he didn't really believe me, but he wasn't gonna push it. "It's Letty, Memo, Matt, and Edwin."

"Damn," I laughed, "Edwin's racing? You'd think he'd of learned by now that he might as well just hand over the cash and not bother even getting in his car…"

"Yeah, I kept telling Memo that racing Letty was a waste of time, but he wouldn't listen to me," Hector said, shaking his head.

"Well, he'll find out soon enough…"

"Yeah, just hope he doesn't come bitching to me after he loses all his money to her. I don't feel like listening to his bullshit tonight."

Just then we walked past my car and I saw Jamie standing there all by herself. "Hey, wait up a second," I told Hector, and went over to her.

"Hey Dom," she said, stepping away from my car, like she was scared I'd get mad at her for leaning on it or something.

"Hey," I nodded at her. "Where's everybody?"

"Uhm… Mia went to talk to some girls she knows… Then Amber said she was going to go find…Leon? And I haven't seen Vince since we got here."

"Well, the race is gonna start soon, and you won't see a thing from back here," I said as I started to walk back towards Hector. "Come with me."

"Hey," Hector nodded to Jamie when we got back up to him. "I gotta go up and get things started," he went on, turning to me. "I'll see ya later?"

"Yep, I'll be around," I answered.

"Why do guys do that?" Jamie asked as Hector walked off.

"Do what?" I asked, turning to look at her.

"That…head nod thing," she explained, trying to demonstrate but failing miserably. She just ended up looking like she was choking on something. "I mean…can't you just say hi?"

"Hi?" I echoed, laughing.

"Well…maybe not hi…" she said, ducking her head a little. "But **something**."

"I don't know why guys do that…" I answered. "You should ask Mia, though. I'm sure Cosmo has a theory."

"So…how come you're not racing or whatever tonight?" she asked.

"I don't race against Letty," I laughed.

"Why not?"

"Well…first of all, it doesn't really make sense to race against someone who's on your team. Don't make too much money that way. And second, me and Leon already pay Letty enough for working at the garage. I don't need to be just giving her any **more** money."

"Oh," she said as we got up to the line. "So…there's money involved in this?"

"You don't have a clue what's going on, do you?" I asked, laughing.

"Uhm…not really?"

"Okay," I started. "Well, there's Letty's car, over on the left. Then Memo in the Acura Integra, Edwin in the Nissan Maxima, and Matt in the Civic."

Jamie just looked at me.

"Wait, lemme do that again," I said, sighing to myself. "You know Letty's car, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, Memo's driving the white car next to hers, Edwin's driving the blue car, and Matt's in the black one."

"Ohhh…" Jamie said, like she was just realizing what the hell I was talking about. "Okay, I get it now."

"Now, Hector - you remember who Hector is, right?" I asked, giving her a hard time.

"I'm not a moron, you know…" Jamie replied, defensive.

I just looked at her. I mean, when you don't even know what a Honda Civic looks like, that's just sad.

"Well, not a **complete** moron…" she corrected herself.

I just busted out laughing, couldn't help it.

"What?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"Nothing, nothing…" I said, still laughing.

"Okay, so…what about Hector?" Jamie asked after a minute.

I had to give her credit. Even though she didn't know what was going on and was only interested because of Vince, she was willing to learn.

"Well, Hector gives the signal, and they take off," I explained.

"We're good to go," I heard Leon's voice say over the walkie-talkie.

"Here," I continued, taking Jamie's arm and kind of pulling her up closer to the line. "They're just about to start now."

I couldn't help but grin as I heard Letty's engine revving. Nothing I love more than the sound of a motor purring. Well, nothing except the sound of Letty's voice…

"So…they all just line up and just go, and whoever gets somewhere first wins?" Jamie asked just as the cars took off.

"Well…I guess you could say that…" I said, laughing a little. "There's a little more to it, though. I mean…**anyone** can just drive down a street going 120 mph. But racing? You have to think about what you're doing. You have to know how to clutch and change gears, you have to know what the other person is doing...when they might hit their NOS, when you should hit yours…"

Jamie was just looking at me, her eyes glazed over a little.

"You're not getting any of this, are you?" I asked. Had to actually shake her arm a little to get her attention.

"Uhm…not really…" she said slowly, looking over at me.

"Okay then… Yeah, they just line up and go, and whoever gets to the finish first wins."

We just stood there for a few minutes, watching the race. Can't really say what Jamie was thinking, but she looked like she was pretty into it. I know I was. When I watch Letty drive…it's almost like I'm doing it myself. I know what she's gonna do, when she's gonna do it. Like she's my second nature or something. Sounds weird, I know…but it's true.

"Hey…didn't that guy just pass Letty?" Jamie asked when they were just a little past the halfway point.

"Don't worry about it," I said, "he won't be in front of her for long. Letty's timing is dead on…maybe the best I've ever seen."

And, like she'd heard me and chosen right then to prove my point, Letty hit her second NOS tank and flew past Matt. She was almost two car lengths ahead of him when they crossed the finish line.

"Whoo!" Jamie shrieked next to me, nearly blasting out my eardrums.

"So…guess you decided you like cars after all?" I asked her, rubbing my ear.

"That was so cool! Did you see that? How she just…wow! I mean…holy crap, I thought she was gonna lose, and then she just…"

"I saw," I said, but I don't think Jamie even heard me. She just kept going on about the race until Letty pulled up in front of us.

"Here ya go, girl," Hector said, stepping up to her as she got out of the car and handing over the cash.

"Thanks, man," Letty said, grinning. "Where's Mia? I need her to count this shit…I can't even think right now."

Mia appeared out of nowhere and took the money from Letty, started counting.

"Dang…" Jamie sighed. "Would you look at all that cash? How much is that?" she asked, turning to me.

"Well…this race was what…two g buy in, I think? So the take'd be eight grand," I answered, trying to be patient and not just go grab Letty and take her somewhere that we could be alone.

"You're telling me she just made six thousand dollars off that race?" Jamie asked, sounding shocked.

"Yep."

"But that's like…two, three months of working full-time! In like…fifteen seconds!"

"Yeah, I know," I laughed.

"I've never even **seen** that much money all in one place before…" Jamie went on.

I thought she might keep babbling forever, but just then Vince showed up next to me and she shut up.

"Hey man, I'm gonna take off…head back to the house," Vince told me. "You wanna come with me, J?" he continued, turning back to her and nodding towards his car.

"Yeah," Jamie said, smiling like he'd asked if she wanted a million dollars or something. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Let's go then," Vince said, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and walking away.


	52. How Wasted She Gets

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Hey you…" I said as I walked towards the house. Dom was sitting on the porch, drinking a beer, like he'd been waiting out there for me. "They drivin' you crazy already?"

"Nah…" he answered slowly, his eyes not lifting past my legs. "You have any problems gettin' back?"

"Nope," I laughed, "not a one. Didn't even see any cops. Why…you worried 'bout me or somethin'?"

"Well…took you a while…and with all this shit with Julie still not settled…"

I didn't say anything, just stood next to him and rubbed my hand across the top of his head, dragging my nails lightly across his skin.

He finally looked up at me and reached out to touch my thigh, tracing the skin left exposed by the lacings.

"I ever tell you how much I like these pants?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly, filled with something like longing. I knew what he meant but couldn't say with all these people around… I love you, I want you…

"Yeah, the last time you were unlacing them with your teeth…" I said, grinning at him. "Am I gonna get a repeat performance of that tonight?"

"Depends on how heavy a sleeper Jamie is," he laughed. "Or how wasted she gets…"

"Oh, lemme go in and get another beer for her then…"

"Heh," he smirked. "Somehow I don't think she's gonna need any help with that…"

"She drinking a lot?"

"Depends on what you mean by a lot…" he laughed. "She was on her fifth beer when I came out here."

"Oh. Maybe I better go in and take the beer **away** from her, then…" I sighed.

"Nah," Dom said. "Vince's looking after her, making sure she's okay."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yep," Dom laughed.

"Okay then," I said as I sat down, leaning against his shoulder.

I was almost asleep when someone stormed out the front door. I jumped away from Dom, trying to look like we'd just been talking about cars or whatever. But then I saw it was only Vince who'd come out, so I could relax again.

"Dom!" Vince said urgently. "Where the fuck is Letty, d'you know?"

"I'm right here, V…" I sighed, wondering what his problem was.

"Your friend needs some help…" he said quickly.

"Dammit, V," Dom sighed. "You were **supposed** to be looking after her!"

"I was!" Vince insisted. "But then I got to playing Nintendo with some kid… She was like, watching, at first, but then she disappeared. Figured she was just off with Mia somewhere, but the next time I saw her she was in the kitchen doing shots."

"Oh, **wonderful**," I snarked. "Where is she now?"

"Dom's bathroom," Vince answered.

"You know, if she's up all night puking her guts out and keeps me from getting any…I'm gonna have to kick her ass. And **yours** too, V…" I said as I got up and went inside.

"Hey girl, how you living?" I asked, leaning through the open bathroom door.

"Not so good…" Jamie moaned.

She didn't **look** good, that's for sure. She was hanging over the edge of the bathtub, her face pressed against the ceramic. Her hair was just trashed…all flat and matted and stuck to her skin like she'd been in a sauna or something.

"Damn, girl…" I sighed, shaking my head at her. "The idea was to make Vince want to fuck you, not make him want to check you into rehab…"

"I want to die…" she groaned, picking her head up and looking at me. Well, looking at the general area my voice was coming from. Her eyes never really focused.

"You puked yet?" I asked, walking over to her.

"No…"

"It **should** make you feel better if you do…" I said slowly, tilting my head towards the toilet. "Just…hang out here for a minute or two…lemme get Mia."

"Well I'm not gonna **go** anywhere…" Jamie laughed as I walked out.

And, true enough, she was in the exact same spot when I got back maybe ten minutes later, towing Mia behind me.

"Okay," she said, putting all the shit we'd hauled in with us down on the counter. "Puked yet?"

"Nope…" Jamie muttered. "But the ceiling is spinning… Make it stop?"

"Okay," Mia sighed. "Well…you need to puke. And I'm not about to shove **my** finger down your throat, so…get to it."

"Oh God…" Jamie said as she suddenly lurched towards the toilet.

"Well," I laughed, "guess you won't need to use your finger after all…"

Jamie must've been hunched over the toilet for a good five minutes. I swear, it sounded like she was puking up everything she'd eaten in the past year.

"Okay, now that we have **that** out of the way… Here, rinse your mouth out," Mia said when Jamie finally finished, handing her a glass of water. "And spit it into the toilet - we just cleaned in here the other day."

"Letty, help me with her…" Mia ordered me, and the two of us pulled Jamie over in front of the sink.

"Now, wash your face off," she told Jamie, handing her a washcloth. "And then brush your teeth. And I brought you one of my shirts," she went on, holding up a black tank top. "Hopefully it'll fit you okay…"

Jamie just grunted, but she did what Mia told her to. She was actually starting to look halfway normal again.

"And now let's get your hair up out of your face…" Mia murmured as she sat Jamie down on the edge of the tub. "Letty, where's the brush?"

I handed the brush over and just stood back to watch, trying not to get in Mia's way.

"What do you think?" she asked, turning to face me. "All of it up, or just half?"

"Uhm…" I muttered, "maybe I should go find Amber?"

"No, she went off somewhere with Leon," Mia complained. "They disappeared **hours** ago…prolly won't see them again till morning."

"Oh. Well then…half, I think..." I said slowly.

"'Kay," Mia said to herself as she went to work on Jamie's hair.

"Hey," she said after a few minutes, "get me the blow dryer. Her hair got kinda wet over here when she was washing her face."

"Okay," I laughed, "but you're gonna have to move so I can get to the drawer…this bathroom wasn't exactly made for three people..."

"Yeah, two's its max, huh?" Mia said, grinning at me.

"Uhm…" Jamie said slowly.

"You don't have to puke again, do you?" Mia asked quickly.

"No, it's not that," Jamie answered.

"Oh. Good. What is it, then?"

"Well…why does Dom have a blow dryer in his bathroom? I mean…he doesn't have any hair…what's he need a blow dryer for?"

Mia threw me a panicked look over the top of Jamie's head. "Uhm…" she stammered.

"It's Mia's," I cut in. "She uh…she just keeps it in here."

"Yeah!" Mia agreed. "Yeah, that's it. The lighting's better in here than it is in my bathroom…"

"You need light to dry your hair?" Jamie asked, sounding confused. Mia turned the blow dryer on right then, though, pretended like she hadn't heard Jamie.

"Okay," she said after a minute, turning the dryer off. "Now, let's fix your makeup up a little bit…"


	53. Dumbest Girl Who Ever Lived

"You are a fucking miracle worker, you know that?" I said to Mia a few minutes later as we walked out of the bathroom and went downstairs.

"Yeah, I know," Mia laughed. "Just remember, you owe me!"

"Whatever, girl," I grinned, rolling my eyes at her as she walked away. "Okay Jamie," I went on, turning to her. "Now just…find Vince, and ask him to… Well, ask him to take you out and show you his car again or something. He never gets tired of showing it off…you'd think it was a Diablo or something."

"Diablo?" she asked, looking at me kinda strange. "His car's a devil?"

"No…" I groaned. "Lamborghini. You **have** heard of those, right?"

"Oh…yeah, I think so…" she said slowly as we walked into the kitchen. "Hey, I'm hungry."

I just looked at her. "You sure 'bout that?"

"Yep," she nodded.

"Okay," I said, pulling her over to the pantry. "Here're some crackers…you should be able to eat them okay."

"Oh, look!" Jamie cried, interrupting me. "There's Vince! God, could he **be** any hotter?"

"Well…"

"Do I look okay?" she asked, flicking her hands through her hair.

"You look fine," I reassured her. "Mia does good work. Never be able to tell you were puking your guts up just twenty minutes ago…"

"Okay, I'm gonna go talk to him," she said, starting to walk away from me.

"Wait, hold up…" I muttered, pulling on one of her belt loops to keep her there. "Don't leave without your crackers. You're hungry, remember? And no more beer! Just water. Okay?"

"Right," she echoed. "Water. Okay."

She took her crackers and walked over to where Vince was sitting in the dining room, and I went out into the living room to see about kicking someone's ass on the Nintendo.

"So, you wanna go one on one?"

"You need to update your shit, Miguel," I laughed, not even looking away from the tv screen. "'Cause that line ain't gonna get you anywhere…"

"I **meant** the game…" he said, sitting down next to me on the floor.

"**Sure** you did, man."

"So…you gonna let me get in there?" he smirked, leaning over me.

I just looked at him, rolled my eyes, and threw the second controller at him. Unfortunately, he caught it - I'd been hoping it'd smack him in the face or something.

"Damn, girl…" Miguel groaned, almost two hours later, after I'd kicked his ass on every racing game Dom owned. "Do you have to be so fucking good at **everything** that has **anything** to do with cars?"

"Yeah," I laughed. "Actually, I do. You know, you should just be glad we didn't have any money on this…"

"Whatever…" he said as he stood up. "Hey, I'm gonna take off…Hector's havin' some people over tonight. You wanna go, get some food or something?"

"Nah, man…I'm just gonna chill here. Wait for Leon, see if anyone else is dumb enough to want to play me."

"Okay then, I'll see ya at school Monday I guess," Miguel said before turning and walking out the door.

I shut off the Nintendo, got up, and walked over towards the kitchen, thinking I'd check on Jamie. Never got there, though, 'cause Dom reached out and grabbed me around the waist as I walked by, pulled me into the dining room.

"He never quits, does he?" Dom asked, leaving his arm around me.

"Yeah…Miguel loves to rag on me…" I said, leaning against him.

"What?" Dom laughed. "He's into you…he's **flirting** with you."

"Yeah, right," I said, rolling my eyes.

"He **is** flirting with you," Dom insisted. "I should kick the shit out of him…'cept it'd be a waste of time 'cause he wouldn't know what I was doing it for..."

"Oh, come off it, Dom," I laughed. "It's just **Miguel**… And even if he **were** really into me - which he totally isn't - nothing would happen. We're just friends. And we were just talking."

"Talking…yeah, right. That's not all **he** was doing…"

"Yeah, he was also getting his ass kicked at Nintendo…"

"That's not what I meant, Letty, and you know it," Dom sighed. "I just wish we didn't have to hide anymore."

"Yeah, I know," I said quietly, running my hand down Dom's side. "Me too. But it's almost over…Julie should be having that kid any day now, right?"

"Another couple of weeks, maybe," he said, shrugging a little.

"Too long…" I muttered, moving away from him as some people walked into the room.

"Hey," I said after a few minutes, interrupting some guy who was asking Dom something about exhaust systems. "D'you know where Vince and Jamie are? I wanted to check on her…she wasn't doing so good earlier."

He thought about it for a second or two before answering. "Last time I saw them, they were out front, over by V's car."

"Thanks," I said, turning to leave.

I wandered around outside for a while without seeing either Jamie or Vince. Thought maybe they'd gone off to be alone somewhere. But then I heard someone puking, and found Jamie over on the lawn by the side of the house with a couple beer cans right next to her.

I was **pissed**.

"I thought I told you not to drink anything else!" I growled, smacking her arm.

"Well…I was thirsty!" she protested.

"So you drink like…three beers?"

"Well…I was still thirsty after one…" she sighed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I swear…" I muttered. "Are you the dumbest girl who ever lived or **what**? You're prolly dehydrated. You drink more beer, of **course** you're still gonna be thirsty…"

"It seemed like a good idea when I did it…" she muttered.

"Yeah, well does it still seem like it was a good idea? And Vince just sat there and let you do it, huh… That's it, I'm gonna kick his ass."

"He's **never** gonna kiss me if you yell at him about hanging out with me…" Jamie whined.

"Okay, first of all, you need to stop that whining shit, 'cause it is getting on my last fucking nerve," I told her. "Second, you're lucky I don't kick **your** ass too. This is not my idea of a good time, you know, taking care of someone who doesn't know when the fuck to stop drinking. And lastly, it's not **me** you need to worry about… He's never gonna kiss you if you keep puking!"


	54. Now That's Interesting

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

Three am, and everyone but the team had finally left. We were gathering in front of the tv in the back room, just like we always seemed to end up doing after a party, ready to just relax.

"So…what movie we gonna watch?" Letty asked, sitting down next to me with a huge bowl of popcorn and handing me a Corona.

"What about The Crow?" Leon asked, looking through the movies.

We all just looked at him for a second.

"Leon, we just watched that yesterday…" Amber started.

"What's that about?" Jamie asked.

"Don't ask…you don't wanna know…" Mia said quickly. "And if you get him started on it…forget about him **ever** shutting up…"

"If I have to watch that fucking movie **one** more fucking time, I'm moving out, I swear," Letty complained.

"Okay, The Crow it is, then…" Leon laughed, just barely ducking the shoe Letty threw at him.

"Hey now," Vince said, looking over at her. "Careful with the tv, huh?"

Letty just rolled her eyes, threw her other shoe at Vince. I had to laugh when it hit him square in the chest.

"Thelma and Louise," Mia said. "That'd be **perfect**. I've been craving some Brad Pitt lately…"

"Oh yeah," Amber agreed. "Brad looks **good** in that movie!"

"Sayin!" Letty added in.

"Nuh-uh," Vince said, shaking his head. "We're not gonna watch some movie with two old chicks just 'cause some guy you think is hot is in it for like five minutes. Not gonna happen."

"Yeah, save it for a slumber party or something," Leon laughed.

"How 'bout Days of Thunder?" Vince suggested, going over to look through the movies with Leon.

"God, V!" Mia groaned. "Does **everything** have to be about cars?"

"Well…Tom Cruise is in it…" Vince said slowly. "Don't you like him?"

"Uhm…no!" Mia retorted, rolling her eyes. "He's too short."

"Okay then…" Leon said. "What about Pulp Fiction?"

"No. Nuh-uh," Vince immediately said. "That movie is hard enough to follow when we're sober."

"You have a point there, coyote," Leon laughed.

"Okay, enough of this shit," I finally said, walking over to the bookshelf the movies were stacked on and pulling out the first thing I saw. "Die Hard 3. That work for everybody?"

Nobody had any complaints, so I put the movie in, walked back over to the couch and sat down, wrapping my arm around Letty's shoulder. She tensed up for a second, glared at me before looking over towards Jamie. The girl was already knocked out, not even halfway through the promos. Letty relaxed then, leaned her head on my chest, curled her feet up underneath her and pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch to cover us with.

Letty ended up falling asleep not much later. She'd stretched out on the couch, laid down with her head resting on my stomach. She purred a little, rubbed her cheek against me as her left arm moved so it covered my crotch. I groaned lowly, ran my hand through her hair before reaching down and dragging my thumb across her mouth. Letty sighed, turned towards me a little and stretched, her right arm moving out from underneath her body to wrap around my waist. I ran my fingers through her hair one more time before moving my hand down to her neck, rubbing her shoulder lightly before slipping my hand under her shirt to rest against her tit. Letty sighed again, her head slipping down a few inches so that her face was right at the waist of my pants and I could feel her breath against my skin. Between that and her body moving under my hand, I had to fight the urge to wake her up and carry her upstairs.

I loved those late nights with Letty…still do. I love watching her as she falls asleep, her body curled against mine… And, cheesy as it sounds, I love that she reaches out for me…like I'm her security blanket or something.

As the credits rolled, I looked around the room, wondering if I should bother waking everyone up. Leon and Amber were curled up in the big chair, with her in his lap. Mia was stretched out on the floor in front of the tv. And Vince and Jamie… Well, they were laying on the floor next to the couch. Jamie was on her side, using Vince's arm as a pillow. He was pressed up against her back, his other arm laying across her hips, keeping her close to him.

"Now **that's** interesting," I thought, laughing to myself. I almost wanted to wake Vince up, just to see what his reaction would be.

But just then, the tape shut itself off. I started fumbling around for the remote, trying not to wake Letty up. Didn't work, though. She opened her eyes slowly, reached a hand up and rubbed the side of my face, yawning.

"What time is it?" she asked, rolling onto her back and stretching.

"Nearly five, I think," I said slowly, finally finding the remote and switching off the tv as Letty sat up.

"Damn…" she laughed, her voice low and a little scratchy. "I must've slept good. Feels like it should be noon or something…"

"Oh yeah?" I asked, smirking at her. "That's too bad…'cause I was just thinking it was time to go to bed… But you wouldn't want to come with me, since you're so awake now…"

"I **know** you're not thinking about going upstairs without me," she laughed again, lightly hitting my arm before standing up. "Watch, I'll keep you awake for a few more hours now, just for that…"

"That a promise?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Letty licked her lips slowly before changing the subject. "You think we should wake the rest of them up?"

"Well…" I said slowly, "I was tryin' to decide that before you woke up… You know Mia'd kill us if we left her sleeping on the floor. Wasn't sure 'bout the rest of them, though."

"Eh, Leon and Amber should be fine there," she said. "They're always saying how comfortable that chair is…"

"And I don't know if we should interrupt Vince and Jamie," I laughed. "Did you see them?"

"Where's Ja… Oh…" Letty said, grinning as she walked over to them. "Well…we should prolly get a blanket for them at least…you know how cold the floors get in this place."

"Okay…you wanna get the blanket, then, and I'll get Mia to bed?"

"Sounds good," Letty answered as she headed towards the hall closet.

"Mia…" I said, walking over and kneeling down next to her. "Wake up."

She didn't even move.

"Mia!" I said a little louder, lightly shaking her shoulder.

She moved that time…but all she did was turn her face away from me.

I looked at her for a few seconds before just picking her up and carrying her out of the room. She finally woke up just as I was setting her down on her bed.

"Dom?" she asked, sounding confused. "What are you doing?"

"Putting your ass to bed," I laughed. "You know, so I don't have to listen to you bitch about how much your back hurts tomorrow…"

"Oh," Mia said, yawning. She turned her face towards the wall, yawned again, and closed her eyes.

"Don't even get a thanks, huh?" I muttered to myself as I pulled the blankets over her.

Letty was just standing there looking at Vince and Jamie, still holding the blanket, when I got back downstairs. I walked up behind her, wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me.

"They look…comfortable, don't they?" she asked, softly. "Almost like they belong together."

"Yeah," I nodded. "They do."

Letty stepped away from me then, kneeled down and spread the blanket over the two of them. Jamie's eyelids fluttered, and I thought she might wake up, but she just murmured a little and rolled over, snuggling closer against Vince.

"Cute," I said, grinning.

"Too cute," Letty echoed, standing up. "Almost disgusting, seeing Vince like that."

"Wonder what they'll think when they wake up…" I added as Letty moved over to the chair where Leon and Amber were sleeping.

"Look at this…" she said, sighing as she pulled their blanket over Amber. "Leon even hogs the covers when they're not in a bed! It's a miracle Amber gets any sleep at all, with him. You know he actually bruises her sometimes, with all the thrashing around he does? I don't know how she stands it."

"She loves him…that's how she stands it," I said, laughing at her. "'Sides, you're one to talk, as much as **you** move around in your sleep… Must be genetic or something…"

"I do not!" she protested, smacking me lightly across the stomach.

"Do so…" I shot back. "I've **seen** you sleep, remember…blankets thrown to the floor, all tangled up in each other…you sprawled out across the whole bed…"

"At least I don't kick you," she muttered, turning to lean against me.

"Yeah…not when you're sleeping anyways," I teased, resting my chin on the top of her head. I could almost feel Letty rolling her eyes, even though I couldn't see her face.

"So I don't like sleeping alone…" she said after a minute. "It just feels like…something's missing. I never sleep good unless I'm with you…"

"I know…me too," I answered before leaning down a little so I could pick her up. "So…you ready to go upstairs so we can go to sleep now?"

"Sleep?" she asked, smiling and wrapping her arms around my neck as she thrust her hips against me. "You really want to **sleep**?"

"Well…maybe not just yet," I said, walking towards the stairs.


	55. Preppy White Boys

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, I woke up alone. Not surprising. Dom never did sleep in late, even when he could. I stretched, then rolled out of bed. Stretched again before digging around in Dom's drawers, grabbing a pair of his sweats and a t-shirt to wear.

As soon as I opened the door, I could hear the noise from downstairs. Sounded like Leon and Vince were already going at each other. Had to laugh at them as I was getting a bagel and some O.J. out of the kitchen.

"So you ready to lose, pumpkin? 'Cause I can already feel my wallet getting fatter…" Leon taunted. I could almost picture the huge ass grin on his face, even though I couldn't see him.

Leon never got tired of ragging on Vince… Seemed like he'd made it his goal in life to get a reaction. Never worked, though, no matter what he tried. V always just smirked and shrugged it off, when any other guy would've kicked Leon's ass.

"So who's playing?" I asked as I walked into the family room.

"Raiders," Leon said, trying to lean around me so he could see the tv.

"Figures…" I muttered. Leon's been obsessed with the Raiders for **years**. Even when they were up in Oakland, and even now that they're back up there. You'd think there weren't any other teams in the NFL, if you just knew football from watching it with him…

"So V, who you rooting for?" I asked, sitting down next to Jamie.

"For anybody **but** the Raiders!" Mia laughed as she walked up behind me and leaned over the back of the couch.

"Well shit, girl, tell me something I **didn't** already know, wouldya?" I said, grinning as I reached over Jamie to ruffle Vince's hair.

"Packers," Vince said, grinning back at me.

"Oooh…Brett Favre!" Mia squealed as she walked around and sat down on the floor in front of me. "He's cute!"

"Yeah, whatever, Mia!" Amber laughed.

"He **is**!" she insisted.

"Yeah, if you like preppy white boys, I guess…"

"Hey now!" Leon immediately protested, throwing a pillow at Amber. "You love this white boy!"

"She said **preppy** white boys, Leon… And…" I laughed, looking him up and down. Wifebeater, baggy sweats, big ass tattoo on his shoulder… "somehow I don't think you qualify!"

Jamie just kinda sat there on the couch and looked at all of us like she wasn't sure what to think. Or it could've been that she was hung over…

"Game started yet?" Dom asked as he walked through the back door.

"Nope," Vince answered, not even looking up.

"Yo, dawg, where you been?" Leon asked. Like Vince, his eyes were glued to the tv, waiting for the opening kickoff.

"Had some business I had to take care of," Dom answered, practically throwing himself into the big chair across the room.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him. Something in his voice was just…off.

"So you know anything about football, Jamie?" Vince asked, draping his arm across the back of the couch so it rested against Jamie's shoulders. "Or you just as much a virgin to that as you were to racing cars?"

"You'll just have to wait and see…" she said, laughing a little.

I noticed she didn't move away from his arm. Amber caught my eyes and I nearly busted out laughing at the grin on her face.

"What are you two laughing at?" Vince asked, looking back and forth between the two of us.

"Oh, nothing…" Amber said in a sing-song voice.

"I think we need more food," I said, standing up and tugging Mia up after me. Amber jumped up a second later and followed us into the kitchen, leaving Jamie out with the boys.

"Are they just too adorable or what?" Mia asked while she got some bowls out of the cupboard.

"Definitely," Amber answered.

"You know," I added, "I don't know if I can even remember the last time I've seen Vince acting like this…all cuddly and almost romantic, even…"

"It's good for him," Mia said.

"Did you see them last night?" Amber asked, getting the soda and beer out of the fridge.

"Oh, definitely!" I laughed as I grabbed the chips and dip.

"Wait…what?" Mia asked.

"You didn't see them?" I asked. "Damn girl, you must've **really** been knocked out when Dom took you to bed! They were all cuddling and shit…you know, when you lay on your side and the guy's behind you with his arm wrapped over…what's that called?"

"They were spooning?" Mia cried. "They were **spooning** and I **missed** it??"

"Well, I missed that too," Amber laughed. "But this morning when I woke up, Vince was flat on his back and Jamie was lying practically right on top of him…using his chest like a pillow…"

"You people need to **tell** me about these things!" Mia said. "And am I **really** the only one in this house now with nothing romantic going on in their life? How fucking pathetic is that??"

"Oh come on, girl," I said, walking over to Mia and draping my arm around her shoulder. "It's not that bad…"

"Yeah…there's always Brett Favre!" Amber exclaimed, finishing my thought.

"Good luck finding a preppy white boy in this house, though…" I said before we walked back out into the family room.


	56. More to Jamie

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…"

OoOoOoOoOo

The girls came back in just before opening kickoff, nearly tripping over themselves they were laughing so hard.

I sighed…something was definitely up with them.

"So V…" Mia started, a huge grin on her face. "You sleep okay last night?"

"What?" he asked, looking up at her.

"You know…sleeping on the floor and all…" Amber chimed in.

"Oh…" Vince said slowly. "Yeah, it was fine. I slept good, actually."

Jamie looked over at him then and smiled a little.

I could see Mia opening her mouth, ready to say something, so I decided to jump in and save Vince from the girls…even though it didn't seem like he realized where they were headed with all the questions.

"C'mon guys…" I said, pulling Letty down onto the couch next to me. "The game's 'bout to start, and I'd like to be able to hear it…"

"Yeah, right, Dom…" Letty laughed as she handed me a beer. "We all know how much you bitch about Madden…"

"Have to be able to hear him so I can complain…" I muttered, lightly swatting her arm.

"Yeah, and now the game **is** starting, so could the two of you shut up already?" Leon asked, glaring in our direction.

We all settled down after that… Leon leaning forward, elbows on his knees, his full concentration on the television. Well, except for his right hand, that was twirled in Amber's hair, absently stroking it. Vince had his arm draped over the back of the couch, with Jamie kinda leaning into his side. Letty scooted over to the other end of the couch, mouthing 'sorry' at me as she moved away. I just sighed, wishing Vince would decide quick if he wanted to keep Jamie around or not so we could either get rid of her or fill her in on the whole situation and stop having to pretend around her. I had to laugh - wanting to be able to just touch my girlfriend in my own house…what the fuck was I thinking? Letty and I would've had to go to Timbuktu before we could completely give up the act…and even there, we'd probably run into someone who knew Johnny.

"What the fuck are you thinking, ref! That was pass interference! Where the fuck's the flag??"

Everyone turned and looked at Jamie.

"What?" she said, kind of ducking her head. "It **was** pass interference! Washington was all over him!"

No one said a word.

"Uhm…" she muttered, "did I forget to mention that I get really into football?"

"You a Raiders fan then?" Leon asked, grinning at her.

"Eh…you could say that, I guess…" she said slowly.

"Yes you are!" he said, still grinning. "Did ya hear that, Vincey? Jamie is a Raiders fan!"

Vince just glared at Leon before turning to Jamie. "I **do** have money on the Packers here, you know…"

"Well…" she said slowly, "I like rooting for the underdogs, you know? And the Raiders are definitely gonna need some help this season! Besides, that totally **was** pass interference…"

"Oh," Leon sighed… "Why ya gotta be that way, Jamie? I thought we had something going here…"

"Sorry!" Jamie said, smiling sweetly at Leon and watching the tv out of the corner of her eye.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing??" she screeched two seconds later. "Don't run through the middle, it never works!!"

Everyone just bust out laughing… There was definitely more to Jamie than we'd thought.


	57. Jerry's Famous Deli

"Okay, are we ready to go?" Mia asked almost before the game was over.

"Damn, girl," Letty laughed. "Are you **that** anxious to see Wes again?"

"Who's Wes?" Jamie asked, looking confused.

"A new waiter at Jerry's," Amber explained. "And Mia's obsessed with him."

"I am not!" Mia protested, smacking Amber's arm lightly.

"Okay, yeah, whatever," Amber laughed.

"Would you guys come on already!" Mia shouted as she walked towards the door.

Amber sighed loudly before ruffling her hand through Leon's hair and standing up. "One of these days I'm gonna have to kill your sister, you know," she said, looking over at me.

"Yeah, I know," I laughed. "I'll make sure to back up your alibi for ya."

"Okay nerd boy," she said, looking down at Leon. "I'll see ya when we get back…whenever that is!"

"'Kay," he answered, absently running his hand against her leg. "I'm gonna head over to the garage after a while…mom wanted me to change her oil for her. I should be back before you guys, though."

"Yeah, knowing Mia, you'll be back **hours** before us," Letty laughed.

"Hey, Let," I said, just before she followed Amber and Jamie out the door. "Come here for a second, I need to talk to you real quick about that car we were working on…"

"O-kay…" Letty said slowly as she walked over to me. "What car?"

I checked to make sure Jamie and Amber were outside before answering her. "So…any idea when you'll be back?"

"Not really," she said slowly. "You know how it is… Why?"

"Eh, I was just wondering…" I said, smirking at her. "Hey, is Jamie coming back over here after, do you know?"

"I have no idea…I think she is…"

"Oh," I said, a little disappointed. Not that I didn't like Jamie - I did. I just wanted to spend some time with Letty before she had to go back to school on Monday. But instead, she was going out with the girls, drooling over guys, and even when she got back we still wouldn't be able to just be ourselves...

"Don't worry," she said, like she was reading my mind. "We can have Vince hang out with her for a while or something…right V?"

"Huh?" he asked, looking up from the tv. "What'd you say, Letty?"

"Never mind…" she laughed, just as a horn honked outside.

"You'd better go," I said, quickly leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "Don't want them to leave you…"

"Bye Dom…" Letty said, wrapping her arms around me for a quick second before she turned to walk out the door. "Bye Leon, V!" she called out behind her, almost as an afterthought.

"So…" I sighed, looking over at Leon and Vince. "What are we gonna do now?"


	58. Get Bad With Letty

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Oh my God," Mia squealed as we drove by Jerry's. "Look! There he is!"

"Who?" Jamie asked, looking around.

"Wes," I explained. "There…see him? Over by that table?"

"No…" she said slowly.

"You'll see him when we get inside," Amber said, laughing.

"I'm so going to marry him…" Mia sighed as she parked the car.

"Yeah…he just doesn't know it yet, right?" I laughed.

"Exactly!"

"So do you guys come here a lot?" Jamie asked as we walked in.

Kelly, the hostess, came up before any of us could answer. "Hey girls!" she said, giving Mia a hug. "Four tonight, huh?"

"Yeah," Amber said. "Jamie's new in town, so we had to corrupt her, you know."

"Of course!" Kelly laughed. "Here, I've been saving a table for you…follow me."

"So I guess that answered my question," Jamie laughed as she sat down next to me in the booth, facing the door.

"Huh?" I asked, looking over at her.

"You know…I asked if you guys came here a lot…" she explained.

"Oh, absolutely," Mia answered. "We've been coming here just about every week, since I got my license. It's my favorite restaurant. My dad used to know the owner…worked on his cars and stuff."

"Oh that's cool," Jamie said.

"Yeah," I went on. "Mia comes here to drool over guys, and Amber and I come for the food."

"You don't like checking out the guys?" Jamie asked, looking around the restaurant. "Aren't you single?"

"Well…yeah…" I answered slowly. I kinda felt bad about lying to her, but there wasn't really anything else I could do. "I don't know, I'm just not really into the whole guy thing. Taking a break from it all, you know?"

"Ah," Jamie nodded.

"Oooh, look at him!" Mia said just then, interrupting us.

"Who?" Jamie asked, turning around and trying to figure out who Mia was talking about.

"That guy…sitting at the table right over there…with the dark blond hair and the beige jacket with the wool cuffs…"

"Can't see him," Amber said. "There's all these people in the way. Is he cuter than Wes?"

"Hello, ladies!" Wes said as he walked up to our table.

Amber grimaced, and I could tell Mia had kicked her under the table or something to get her to shut up.

"Hey Wes," I said, since Mia didn't look like she was gonna be talking anytime soon. "How you livin'?"

"Eh, pretty good," he answered. "Better now that you girls are here! So, your usual drinks?"

"Yep," Amber nodded.

"And…what about you?" Wes asked, turning to Jamie.

"Uhm…a Diet Coke," Jamie said. "And can I get a slice of lemon with that?"

"Sure," Wes said. "So," he went on, looking back over at Amber and Mia, "you managed to drag someone else along with you this week?"

"Yeah," Mia answered, blushing a little. "Jamie's new in town."

"So, you know, make sure you keep an eye out for famous people so we can convince her this place is worth driving to West Hollywood for," Amber grinned.

"Of course!" Wes laughed. "'ll go ask around and see if there've been any sightings yet tonight…and I'll be back with your drinks in just a minute."

"He seems nice," Jamie said after Wes had walked away.

"Yeah," Amber agreed. "He's a pretty cool guy."

"And don't forget about how **adorable** he is!" Mia added.

"Now, just remember, Mia," I said, grinning, "you're not allowed to play with the napkin holder, the salt and pepper shakers, or anything else that might be on the table… And you have to actually talk to him!"

"Mia gets nervous," Amber explained.

"Really?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah…" Mia said, blushing even more.

"I'd never guess it…" Jamie said slowly. "You seem so confident, I mean…"

"Yeah, well it's easy to talk **about** guys…" Mia started. "But when it comes to actually talking **to** them…and then knowing that anyone I date is gonna have to survive the third degree not only from Dom but from Leon and Vince too…"

"Ah…I see…" Jamie said.

"Do you know what you want yet?" Amber asked Jamie just as Wes came back over with our drinks.

"Uhm… I don't know," Jamie said slowly. "There's so many things…"

"Yeah," Mia laughed. "We usually get the same every time…"

"Two orders of cheese sticks, two orders of fries, extra ranch dressing," Wes chimed in, grinning.

"The cheese sticks here are **amazing**," Amber said, looking over at Jamie. "You wanna just split with us?"

"Uhm…yeah, that sounds good," Jamie said as she put down her menu. "And a garden salad too…ranch dressing," she told Wes.

"Okay," Wes said, writing her order down on his pad. "Anything else for the rest of you?"

"Either of you wanna split a grilled cheese with me?" Amber asked, looking back and forth between Mia and me.

"Yeah, that sounds good," we both answered at the same time.

"Oh," Mia said, laughing. "You go for it Letty. God knows I don't need it…"

"No," I protested, shaking my head. "I'm not really that hungry…you and Amber should split it."

"C'mon," Amber said, "**someone** has to split it with me! I can't eat the whole thing by myself!"

"How's this," Wes suggested. "I'll get George to make an extra-big sandwich, and then split it in three for you. That work?"

I looked at Mia and Amber before turning to Wes. "Yeah, man, that's good. Lucky we have you to look after us, huh?"

"Yeah," Wes laughed. "Okay, I'll be back with your stuff in a while."

"He really is cute…" Mia said after a few minutes.

"Who…Wes?" I asked. "I thought we'd already agreed on that one…"

"No, not him," Mia explained. "Even though he **is** cute. But I was talking about the guy in the jacket."

"Oh, **him**!" Amber said. "Okay, I get you now."

"Did you get a look at him yet?" Mia asked.

"Hmm?" Amber asked as she picked up her drink.

"You know…there were people in the way earlier…"

"Oh, yeah," Amber said. "I did."

"And?" Mia asked.

"Oh…I didn't look at his face…" Amber said slowly. "I was looking at his jacket."

I busted out laughing as Mia dropped her head onto the table, nearly knocking her drink over.

"God," she moaned. "What did I do to deserve you people?"

"Oh, come on, you know you love us," Amber laughed.

"What's so funny?" Wes asked as he walked over with our food.

Amber and I just giggled… For some reason I couldn't stop laughing. Every time I looked at Amber, it just set me off more. And since she was right across the table from me, it was kinda impossible **not** to look at her.

"Oh…uhm…" Jamie stammered, trying to cover for us.

"They're totally laughing at me…" Mia said, blushing a little.

"What?" Wes asked, kneeling down to talk to her. "Why would they be doing that? They're not laughing at you…"

"It was…" Amber choked out, "her head…and the table…and the glass… I can't breathe!"

"Just ignore them," Mia said, blushing a little. "They're crazy."

"Okay," Wes laughed. "Well, here's your food…I'm going on my break, but I'll be around later to make sure you're doing okay."

"Thanks," Jamie said as he walked away.

"God!" Mia exclaimed, smacking Amber's arm after she was sure Wes couldn't hear us anymore. "I cannot believe you guys!"

"That," I said, trying to catch my breath, "was the funniest thing I've seen all month, I think."

"I'm going to the bathroom," Mia said, scooting her way out of the booth.

"'Kay," Amber nodded as she dug into the fries.

"Oh my God, look at her pants!" I heard some girl say as Mia walked by their table.

I leaned back and looked at Mia, trying to remember what pants she was wearing. Black jeans that Amber'd cut the waist off of…I actually had a couple pairs like them myself.

"I can't **believe** anyone would leave their house looking like that…" one of her friends chimed in. "You know…unless they **wanted** to look like a whore… Look, her underwear's showing and everything… She might as well be wearing a sign advertising her prices."

"You know," I said, making sure I had their attention. "**I** can't believe you're talking all that shit with us sitting right here where we can hear you…"

"What's up, Let?" Amber asked, turning to look over at the table where the girls were sitting.

"Oh," I sneered, "these girls were just admiring the pants you altered for Mia."

"Oh yeah?" Amber smiled. "It's really easy to fix the waist like that, I could totally show you how to do it," she said to them. "And it's like a miracle if you're short waisted…makes you look **so** much taller…"

"Well," I said, "apparently, only whores would wear pants like those."

"What?" Amber asked, looking kinda shocked.

"Oh yeah," I went on. "These girls think your next design should have a price listing right there on it. Maybe on the back pockets, what do you think? Hand jobs, fifty bucks…blow jobs, a hundred… Although, there's not really all that much room on the pocket…maybe down one leg would be better…"

"They called Mia a whore?" Jamie asked slowly.

"Indeed," I nodded.

"What?!" Mia said… I hadn't noticed her walking back from the bathroom. "Excuse me?"

I looked over at the table where the girls were sitting, but they didn't say anything, didn't even look over at us. Just sat there, playing with their food. I glared at them, waiting for one of them to say something, to give me any excuse to kick their asses. I was practically dying for a fight…I had all these frustrations building up and no outlet for any of it.

"Just drop it, Let…" Mia muttered, tugging on my arm.

"No, Mia," I snapped. "I don't want to just drop it. These bitches are talking shit about you for no reason other than their own stupid jealousy…'cause they know they all look like shit and so when they see some girl looking cute they have to cut her down to make themselves feel better…"

"Yeah, whatever…" one of the girls snarked.

"Brandy!" her friend hissed, smacking her arm.

"What!" the girl…Brandy, I guess, replied. "Leave me alone, Stacey."

"Look," the blonde girl - Stacey - said, looking over at our table. "I'm real sorry about them… They've had like, **way** too much to drink tonight…we just came over from the club next door to get some food before we head home. They don't really mean anything by it… They won't even remember this tomorrow, I'm sure."

"Whatever," I said, sneering. "Being drunk isn't an excuse for being bitchy…" I started, but Mia cut me off, started talking over me.

"It's fine," she said, smiling at Stacey. "Don't worry about it."

"They really are cute pants…" Stacey said as she stood up and started pulling her friends towards the door.

"Oh, thanks!" Mia grinned.

I just glared at her. "Why do you have to be so fucking **nice** all the time, Mia?" I demanded.

"Well…" she started, but I wasn't done yet.

"You act like that, people will just walk all over you! You can't let anybody see you being weak…not ever. Not unless you want to live with people take advantage and talking shit about you for the rest of your life!"

Mia and Amber just stared at me for a few seconds…I could hear Jamie sucking on her soda next to me, like she was trying to pretend she wasn't there or something.

"You think I'm weak?" Mia asked, slowly.

"I…" I started, "well…no! Of course not! Just…you can't let people fuck you over like that all the time and not **do** anything about it! I mean…how many times can you forgive people, knowing they're just gonna go on doing the same shit? You have to protect yourself."

Jamie laughed, lowly. "You know, Letty…that's such bullshit."

"What?" I asked, kinda shocked that she'd said anything at all.

"It's one thing not to let people take advantage of you…but you don't have to be **hostile** all the time," she explained. "You don't have to totally shut yourself off from people. You live like that, all you're gonna end up with is yourself. 'Cause soon enough, you'll piss everyone off so much that they won't want to be around you…even the people who love you."

I couldn't really say anything back to that… We all just kinda sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"I still don't think I can believe it," Amber finally said.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Did I really just see sweet, innocent little Jamie get bad with **Letty**? And she's still alive?" she asked, grinning at me.

I threw a fry across the table at her, grinning back. Maybe I was even blushing a little…

"Yeah," Mia said, smiling, "I think you did. You know, Jamie, I think you'll be really good for Vince. Better than we thought, even."

"Yeah…" Jamie sighed. "Too bad nothing's ever gonna come of that, though…"

"What?" Mia asked sharply. "What do you mean?"


	59. Reading Mia's Cosmos

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Yo, dawgs," Leon said as Vince and I walked into the garage. "What up? You get tired of waiting for the girls to get back?"

"Yeah, whatever," I laughed as I started working on a Mustang, trying not to think about Letty talking to Wes and any other guys there.

"So V, uh…what up with you and Jamie?" Leon asked a few minutes later, trying to sound casual.

"What?" Vince asked, surprised.

"Uh…you know, you seemed kinda into each other, so I was just wondering…" Leon stammered.

"Amber put you up to asking, didn't she…" I said, laughing.

Leon turned red, shrugged his shoulders. "Well…she might have…"

"Yeah, I got the same talk from Letty **and** Mia," I complained.

"So?" I asked a few minutes later when Vince hadn't answered.

"What?" he asked. "Shit, Dom…you really want an answer?"

"The girls would kick our asses if we didn't tell them **something**," I said, "and you know it. So c'mon…"

"I dunno…" he shrugged. "She's a cute girl…and pretty cool…not the little goody two shoes I thought she was first time I saw her, y'know?"

I nodded, "Yeah…so…you into her? Enough to keep her around for a while?"

"I…no…yes…shit, I dunno…" Vince muttered. "She's kinda hot…but… Why the fuck would she want me? She's all smart and shit…prolly go to Harvard or something like that… What the fuck would she want with a guy like me?"

Leon just laughed. "If you figure out how women think, dawg…we'd never have to work another day in our lives."

"C'mon V," I said, tossing a rag at his chest. "You're a good guy…a **dumb** guy, sometimes, but good all the same. Don't take a genius to see that. And girls love that shit…the good guy who looks like a bad boy…"

Leon and Vince just stared at me.

"Dude, you been reading Mia's Cosmos again?" Leon asked, grinning at me.

"You need to shut the fuck up before I beat your ass," I said, pointing my fist at Leon. "Besides, anything that keeps me even half a step ahead of Letty's brain…"

"You've got a point there…" Leon laughed.

We all went back to working on the cars, and it was pretty quiet until we got ready to head back to the house.

"So, uh…" Leon said as we were walking out the door, "what should we tell the girls?"

"Why don't you tell them to mind their own damn business and leave me the fuck alone?" Vince shot back.

"They just want to see you happy…" Leon started.

"'Sides," I added, "I don't think Mia's capable of minding her own business…"

"Yeah…whatever," Vince said, shaking his head. "Tell them…tell them I kinda dig Jamie, but I just wanna see what happens with it. I don't wanna rush anything, or force it… Whatever happens will happen, right?"

"Damn, V," Leon laughed, "that's almost deep…"

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "You sure **you** haven't been reading Mia's Cosmos?"


	60. Carly

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"I don't know," Jamie said slowly. "It's just…I'm not even really his type, am I? He'd probably only want to hang around me to try to fuck a virgin or whatever…"

"You're still a virgin?" I asked, not really surprised.

"Yeah…" Jamie answered, blushing. "I haven't even ever really dated anyone…"

"Really?" Mia asked.

"It's my parents…" Jamie explained. "They're just like…my older sister was all wild and rebellious…so they're pretty strict with me. Plus, you know, they're just assholes in general…"

"What'd she do?" I asked, kinda curious.

"What?"

"Your sister…what'd she do that was so wild and rebellious?"

"Oh," Jamie started. "Well, Carly…that's her name…she's three years older than me. Uhm…well, she used to do drugs…started when she was about thirteen or fourteen. I think she's tried just about everything out there…almost died from overdosing a few times…"

I couldn't help looking over at Amber. She just sat there, nodding. I didn't know everything that'd gone on with her, but I knew she used to do meth, and I knew she'd gotten pretty bad a few times. Hell, one time Leon even had to like…carry her home after she'd passed out at a club… I knew he'd been pretty scared something horrible was gonna happen to her, like with his friend Carlos…

"My parents sent her to rehab like a million times, but nothing ever changed her. And then towards the middle of her sophomore year, she started hanging around this guy, Josh. He was a football player…a senior. Practically the exact opposite of Carly…perfect student, all of that. Everyone was totally shocked that they were a couple, but they really loved each other. It sounds **so** clichéd, but…yeah, total opposites attract sort of thing, I guess. And it worked. They were great together."

"So…your parents would've been happy, though, right?" Mia asked. "That she got together with this great guy…"

"Yeah," Jamie laughed. "You'd think, wouldn't you? And they **were** pretty happy, at least at first. But…it was like Josh was Carly's new drug…like she couldn't go even a few hours without seeing him. She started sneaking out even more, spending the night over at his house… And nothing my parents did or said to her made a difference. She did whatever she wanted to. God, I used to admire her so much…" Jamie drifted off, like she was lost in her memories or something.

"So…what happened to them?" I asked, after Jamie didn't say anything else for a few minutes.

"Oh," she said, looking up quickly, like she'd almost forgotten we were there. "Well, in July, literally like, the day before Josh was supposed to leave for football camp at Florida State, Carly found out she was pregnant. And she **freaked** out…threatened to slit her wrists and all…"

"Wow," Mia said lowly.

"Yeah," Jamie laughed, a little self-consciously. "My sister, the psycho. But Josh was really great about it all… My parents, now they were a completely different story. They wanted her to have an abortion, said if she kept the baby they'd kick her out of the house and never speak to her again, 'cause they weren't about to be stuck raising another kid."

"Damn…" I muttered.

"Yeah, exactly," Jamie said, laughing again. "My parents, the complete assholes. Anyways…Josh'd had a full scholarship lined up… He was going to drop it, but then he like, talked to the coaches or someone at Florida State and worked out a deal with them. They were just amazing, really. I guess they **really** wanted him on their football team. He stayed in town for a few more weeks, to get things kind of settled. Carly got emancipated, they left, and I haven't seen them since… I have pictures, though…one she sent me from their wedding, the two of them front of some Elvis chapel. The typical tacky Vegas wedding…and I know Carly loved every second of it…she adores shit like that. After they got to Tallahassee, they moved into a townhouse on campus, where a lot of other families live. Carly got a job in the health center, and Josh went to classes and played on the team. And I rented out a P.O. Box so I could get letters from them without my parents finding out."

"Your parents didn't change their minds?" Amber asked, "After they saw that things were gonna work out okay for your sister?"

"Nope," Jamie sighed. "And if you asked them, they'd say they only have one kid - me."

We all kind of grimaced at that, and Jamie bust out laughing.

"Really…Carly is **lucky**!" she said. "God, I'm more jealous of her now than I **ever** was before… You have to hear the rest of the story."

"So tell us already!" Mia demanded, leaning forward across the table.

"Okay, okay…" Jamie laughed. "Let's see… Oh yeah, Carly got her GED and then had her baby in early October. Ravenna, after the city Josh's ancestors are from in Italy."

"Pretty…" Amber said softly.

"Then," Jamie went on, "during spring semester Carly started this nursing program they have. It only takes two years to finish it and become an RN. She's gonna be done with that in December. She got all kinds of grants and scholarships, 'cause of having Ravenna…actually, I think it ended up that they were paying her to go to school, if you can believe that. Crazy. And they have this daycare for students over by where they live, so she could go to classes without having to worry about Ravenna. Josh is a senior now, he's gonna be graduating next May. Advertising major. He's been working as a security guard at concerts and stuff with a bunch of other guys from the team. Plus he's been doing some short-term internships with advertising firms. He's even got a few contacts lined up already for jobs after graduation. But there's a pretty good chance that he's gonna be drafted into the NFL. He wants to play for the Miami Dolphins…I'm kinda hoping for the 49ers or the Raiders or the Rams, though, so they'll be closer…"

"Damn," Mia said, almost to herself. "Maybe **I** should've gotten pregnant and married…sounds like a pretty good way to put yourself through school!"

"Yeah," Jamie laughed. "Of course, they guy has a lot to do with it…I think a lot of guys might just leave you to fend for yourself, you know? Lucky for Carly that Josh isn't anything like that…he never even questioned that they were going to have the baby and raise her themselves. I'm not saying he's completely perfect or anything, but…pretty damn close!"

"It must be hard, though," Amber said softly, "having a baby and being at school where most everyone else is running around partying or whatever when you have to be at home. It sounds like they get a lot of support from the school, but still…it sounds kind of lonely."


	61. My Worst Fear

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Nah, she ain't here," I heard Vince say from the front of the garage.

Wondering who the hell he was talking to, I walked up there, nearly ran straight into Miguel.

"What're you doing here?" I asked. Had a bad feeling I already knew, though….

"I, uh…I was looking for Leticia," he stammered.

"Oh," I said, nodding my head a little, smiling as I watched Miguel relax and turn to leave. He'd been nervous. And I didn't think I'd ever seen Miguel nervous before…not at the races, not during a fight, not running from cops, not ever. I could only think of one reason why he'd be nervous, coming to talk to Letty. And I didn't like it at all.

"Why?" I asked, just as he was about to walk out the door.

"What?" he asked, turning back to face me, looking panicked again.

"Why'd you want to talk to Letty?"

"Oh…uhm…well…."

I looked over at V and raised my eyebrows, hoping he'd get the idea of what was going on. Made me wish Leon was out front instead of working in the back…Vince was always a little slow to pick up on things.

"Isabel's having her quinceanera Saturday after next and I wanted to ask Leticia to go with me," Miguel finally spit out, talking so fast I could barely tell what he was saying except that it involved taking Letty somewhere…like on a date.

"Ah," I nodded, watching him slowly relax again.

Maybe I should've just left it at that - Letty'd told me a hundred times that there was nothing going on with him. And I knew she didn't even see his flirting…didn't think of him as anything more than a friend. But there he was, the personification of my worst fear - that Letty'd find some guy her age and leave me for him - and I couldn't stop myself.

"You shouldn't," I said, taking a step towards the door.

"What?" Miguel asked, looking panicked again. I almost felt bad, jerking him around like I was. Almost.

"Ask Letty out. You shouldn't."

"Why…why not?" he stammered.

"It just wouldn't be a good idea," I growled at him.

Miguel turned, started walking out the door. But just before he got outside, it was like he'd gotten his confidence back.

"You know, you can't make decisions for her any more, Dom," he said, glaring at me. "You dumped her. You never really loved her…couldn't have, with the way you acted with all the girls at the races. Fucking around with Julie behind her back…. Why don't you just leave her alone, let her make her own decisions?"

"I think you should leave now, before I lose my temper," I said, taking a step towards Miguel. "But ask yourself one thing…how sure are you that you know what went on with me and Letty? You have no idea how things are between us. No idea."

With that, I let him walk out. Stood there listening until I heard his car door slam, the engine roar, tires squeal as he drove off.

"Little rough on him, eh dawg?" Leon asked, coming up behind me.

"Maybe," I said, sighing as I rubbed my hands over my head. "What else could I do, though?"

Leon didn't say anything, just stood there next to me for a minute.

"I don't get it," Vince said, breaking the silence. "He likes Letty?"

"Yeah, V," I said, looking over at him, "yeah, he does."

"Boy oughtta know better…" Vince said.

"Why's that?" Leon asked. "'Cause Dom'd kick his ass if he tried anything and prolly end up back in Lompoc?"

I just glared at Leon.

"Hey now, don't look at me like that…" Leon started.

"Just think of it…" Vince said, interrupting Leon. "Miguel and Letty. She'd chew him up and spit him out before noon, and you both know it."

I couldn't help it, I just busted up laughing.

"You gotta point there," Leon said, almost thoughtfully. "You straight now, dawg?" he went on, looking over at me.

"Yeah…" I said, still laughing.

"Okay then, you think maybe we could get some work done around here?" he asked, heading back to the cars.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Vince grumbled. "Slave driver."

"C'mon pumpkin, I need some help with the brakes on this Buick!" Leon shouted from the back.

Laughing again, I went back to checking the Mustang over.


	62. Plan's Worked Pretty Well

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Hey…." Dom mumbled, turning towards me as I slid into bed.

"Hey," I said back. "Did I wake you up?"

"Nah, I wasn't really asleep yet," he answered. "Have fun tonight?"

"Yeah," I laughed, remembering everything that'd happened at Jerry's. "Yeah, we did."

"Good," Dom said, reaching over to wrap his arm around me and pull me closer. "Jamie go home?"

"No…."

"So how come you're in here then?"

"Well, if you want me to leave…." I started, moving away from Dom a little.

His arm tightened around me before I could move even six inches. "Okay, okay, I'll stay!" I said, laughing again. "Jamie's downstairs - it was too late to drop her off at home. Her parents are weird with that kind of thing. She's asleep on the couch."

"Damn, that girl falls asleep earlier than anyone I know, even Mia," Dom laughed.

"Yeah, she does," I said. "We'll have to turn her into a night owl…

"You like her, huh?" Dom asked.

The question caught me kinda off guard. I'd stopped thinking in terms of liking Jamie or not liking her, I guess. It was just like she'd always been there, and she was always **gonna** be there. Like I didn't even have a choice anymore in whether or not she was gonna be a friend - she just was.

"Yeah, I do," I answered after a minute, smiling a little.

"Maybe you should just tell her about us, then, 'stead of waiting around for Vince to declare his love…."

"Yeah, maybe," I said, before the words had really sunk in. "Wait, what?" I practically screeched. It must've been louder than I thought, 'cause Dom jumped a little. "Did you talk to him about Jamie?"

"Yeah…." Dom said slowly.

"And?" I demanded. "What'd he say?"

"Not that much…. He likes her, I think, but he's not ready to really go after her," Dom explained, giving me a kinda weird look.

"Oh," I said, a little disappointed. I guess I'd kinda gotten used to thinking of Jamie and Vince as a couple already.

"You know," Dom laughed, "I think maybe you've been hanging around Mia too much…all matchmaker and shit."

"Oh, fuck you, Dom," I laughed back, swatting his arm.

"I'll remember that later…" he growled at me.

"So what'd you guys do tonight? Anything interesting?" I asked, still laughing.

"Nah, not really," he answered. "Worked at the garage for a while. Changed the oil on Lorraine's car, finished up the Mustang and Buick. Got a little bit ahead for next week, you know."

"That's good," I said, scooting closer to him so I could rest my head on his chest.

"Oh," Dom added, "and Miguel came by."

"What?" I asked, lifting my head up to look at Dom.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know, he wanted to ask you out or something," Dom said, reaching up to brush a piece of hair out of my eyes.

"He what?" I practically shrieked. "What the fuck is that boy thinking? You didn't…what'd you say to him?" I asked, a little worried about what Dom might've done to Miguel. "You didn't beat the shit out of him or anything stupid like that, did you?"

Dom just looked at me.

"Nah," he finally answered. "You think I want to start shit with Hector? Just, you know, told him it probably wasn't a good idea."

"Oh," I sighed, relieved.

"He thinks I treat you bad," Dom said quietly.

"He what?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dom said, a harsh laugh escaping his throat as he ran his hand over his head. "Guess our plan's worked pretty well, huh? He believes everything…that I was fucking around with Julie behind your back, that I left you…. Should be happy, huh? Everything's going along just like Mia said it would. But damn, Let, I can hardly stand people thinking that about us…that you're just another fuck to me…."

"Oh, Dom…." I sighed, snuggling against him. "I know, baby. I don't care, though. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks about us. All that matters is we're together, and we know it, and the team knows it. I love you more than anyone else in the world, you know that, right?"

"Yeah…." he said slowly.

"Yep," I said, leaning down to kiss him. "So…you think you can forget about Miguel for a while?"

"Miguel who?" Dom asked, pulling me on top of him.

I could only laugh as Dom's mouth latched onto my neck, licking and sucking at my pulse point. After that, I couldn't really think of anything at all….


	63. Take a Break?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

I felt a hand drop onto my shoulder and I jumped, practically knocking my beer over. "Shit, Mia!" I said, glaring at her.

"What!" she said, glaring back at me. "God, Dom, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit," Mia said, sitting down next to me.

"Don't you have work to do or something?" I asked, trying to distract her.

"Nope," she said, lightly smacking my arm. "C'mon, what's bugging you? You've been sitting back here for hours - we **do** have a business to run here, you know."

"Nothin'…." I muttered.

"Oh please, Dom," Mia said, rolling her eyes. "I **know** something's bugging you, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is."

"Okay," I sighed, "fine. It's Letty."

"Letty?" Mia echoed, sounding surprised. "What's wrong with Letty?"

"Nothing…well, nothing really. It's more Miguel than Letty, I guess. He likes her."

"Yeah," Mia nodded, "I've kind of noticed."

"Do you think we should…take a break?" I asked, looking down at the floor.

"What?" Mia said, shocked. "Wait…what…. What exactly do you mean by a 'break'?"

"Well…." I started, not really sure how to say what I was thinking. "I just…I don't want to hold her back, Mi. You know? She's in high school, she's a teenager, this guy likes her and maybe she should get to be able to experience what all that's like, instead of being tied down to me."

"Dom," Mia said, shaking my arm until she got my attention. "Look at me. Do you love her?"

"I…what?" I said, looking back at Mia.

"Do you love her," she repeated.

"Yeah," I said, smiling to myself. "Yeah, I do. I love her more than I've ever loved anything, Mia. And…I'm scared to death I'm gonna lose her, somehow."

"Dom," Mia said, shaking her head. "She loves you. Just as much as you love her, maybe more. You hear me? She **loves** you. You'd know that, if you'd just stop worrying so much!"


	64. No One Believes

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Hey, Leticia, can I talk to you for a second?" Miguel asked, right after the bell rang.

"Sure," I said, hoping that it wouldn't take long. I wanted to get to the garage and work on my car, get it fixed up to race that weekend.

"I'll call you later, okay?" Jamie asked as she got up.

"Yeah, I should be home around eight or so, or you can call the garage," I answered.

Miguel just sat there for a few seconds, until I started wondering if he'd forgotten he wanted to talk to me. Then, I realized. He was gonna ask me out. It was the first time a guy had ever really asked me out - Dom and I just sort of happened, nothing so formal as a date involved, except for that one time on my birthday. My stomach dropped out, my palms started sweating, and I was pissed at myself for being so nervous. I'd just tell him no, and that would be that.

Finally, when everyone but Loz had left, Miguel turned towards me. "Uh…you know, Isabel's having her quinceanera next Saturday, and I was wonder…."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you'd want to go with me," he stammered out.

"I, uh…" I started, still not really sure what to say. I mean, I didn't want to be totally rude to Miguel, he was a pretty cool guy. He just wasn't Dom. "I don't know, man. I was gonna race next Saturday…."

"Oh," Miguel said, looking down at the table. "Well. Some other time then, maybe."

"Yeah, maybe," I said as he got up.

I couldn't stop thinking about what'd happened all the way to the garage. It was just unreal. I mean, even with Dom telling me Miguel was gonna ask me out, it was still…like it wasn't really happening to me. I'd never really thought of myself as pretty, never thought I was the kind of girl that guys went for. That was Mia, or on the other side of the spectrum, the racer sluts. I knew Dom loved me, thought I was hot and all, but I always figured he was the only guy who ever would….

"Hey Letty," Mia said as I walked into the garage office. "How was school?"

"Damn, Mia," I said, sinking into one of the chairs. "You'd never believe it. Miguel..."

"Asked you to go to Isabel's quinceanera with him?" she finished.

"Exactly," I sighed.

"Guess he didn't pay too much attention to Dom, then..."

"Who?" Dom asked, walking into the office.

"Miguel," I answered, rolling my eyes. "I told him I was gonna be busy getting my car ready for the races. He seemed to take it okay...so hopefully he'll finally get the hint and drop all this."

"Oh," Dom said, quietly. "You know," he went on, flashing a quick look at me before looking down at a stack of papers on Mia's desk, "I was thinking maybe you should just go with him."

"What!?" Mia practically screeched. I just stared at Dom, wondering what the hell he was thinking.

"Well...if anybody still has any doubts about us, this should convince them... And besides, that kinda thing's what you're supposed to do in high school, isn't it? Go out, party with friends...could be fun," Dom explained, still not looking at me.

Mia and I just sat there staring at him in shock. I kept waiting for Dom to do something - **anything** - to take it back, so we could all laugh about what a dumb idea it was. But he just stood there. And every second that went by without him saying anything, the more pissed I got.

"So, call him tonight and tell him you've had a change of plans, you'd love to go to Isabel's party with him," Dom finally said, turning to walk into the garage.

I looked over at Mia, still trying to figure out if this was all actually happening or if I'd just somehow stepped into an alternate universe or something. She just shrugged at me, like she was trying to figure the same thing out herself.

"So tell me, Dom," I said, following him into the garage, "should I fuck Miguel too? Or maybe just suck his dick? You know, so then he can tell all the guys and they'll **really** believe we're not still together? You know, 'cause them seeing you all over Amber at the races wasn't quite enough to convince them. I mean, **everyone** knows that Dominic Toretto is God's gift to women, so of course I wouldn't mind if you cheated on me. Hell, the truth is most of 'em didn't think I was anything more than a fuck to you in the first place."

By this time, Vince and Leon had come out from behind the cars they'd been working on and were standing off to the side, watching. But they didn't try to stop me, and neither did Dom. Mia'd stepped out from the office, and I could feel her tugging on my arm, trying to get me to back off, but I just shrugged away from her.

"You hear that, Dom?" I asked, staring him right in the eyes. "No one believes you actually love me, or that you ever did. At all. No one. And shit, with you this anxious for me to go out with another guy, not just a friend but a guy who **likes** me... Well, it makes it hard for even **me** to believe you ever loved me."

Dom blinked, looked like he was about to say something, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.

"It's awfully convenient for you, don't you think? This whole situation... You get a girlfriend - or whatever you'd call me, shit, I don't even know anymore. And you've got the perfect excuse to flirt with all the sluts who throw themselves at you. Honestly, I have to start wondering why you've gone along with this shit for so long. The Dom I **thought** I knew wouldn't ever let some punk like Johnny dictate his life like this. So you know what? Fuck you, Dom. You want me to go out with Miguel? Fine, I will. You want me to act like I don't have a man? Fine, I can do that too. But you'd better be careful, Dom, and know just what you're asking me to do. 'Cause this could all come real faster than a quarter-mile."

With that, I stormed out, jumped in my car and took off, peeling out so fast my tires I could see the smoke from my tires out the back window. I didn't even know where I was going, I just had to get away.


	65. Trust Me

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

I couldn't believe Letty'd just gone off like that. Couldn't believe she didn't see that this was the last step in protecting ourselves from Johnny, that she thought I **liked** having the skanks at the races hanging all over me. Couldn't believe she didn't get why I didn't want to confront Johnny…. She should've realized protecting my family was worth giving in to him, no matter how bad I wanted to just beat the shit out of him.

"What the fuck did you say to her, dawg?" Leon asked.

"Nothing!" I shot back, defensive.

"He told her to go on a date with Miguel," Mia threw in. I just turned and glared at her - she always had to get herself involved in everything, still does.

"What?" Vince said, sounding confused.

"Think, V," I said. "This'll really convince everyone that we're not together anymore. Besides, she needs to go out and do shit like that. It's not good for her to always be hanging out with us all the time! She needs to hang with people her own age once in a while…."

"I thought that's what Jamie was for…." Vince said, still confused.

"Man, you have everything all fucked up Dom, you know that?" Leon said. "Letty isn't a little girl…she can decide for herself whether she wants to hang out with us or not. And when the hell did it start mattering how old she is? Not like you haven't already been fucking her for a year…."

"That's not how it is, Leon…" I started.

"You know what? Forget it, Dom. I don't wanna hear it," he interrupted me, turning to walk out of the garage. "All I know is, I just saw my baby cousin get hurt, and if you hurt her anymore, I swear to God, I'll fuckin' kill you."

And with that, he stormed out of the garage just like Letty had, leaving us all to stare after him.

"Dom…."

"Don't start, Mia," I glared at her. Last thing I needed was someone **else** yelling at me.

"Okay, fine, whatever," she said. "But when you decide you're ready to try to fix this, come talk to me."

I just rolled my eyes as she walked back into the office. You know, for someone that's never even had a long-term relationship, Mia sure thinks she knows a hell of a lot…. Cosmo can't be **that** helpful…least it never has been for me.

"So," I said, looking over at Vince, "you gonna leave me too?"

"Nah, bro," he answered. "We're cool."

"God, V," I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face, "I'm losing her, aren't I? I'm losing her, and it's all my fault."

"She loves you," Vince said after a minute. "And you love her. Anyone could see it, if they'd only pay attention. You guys'll be okay, trust me."

And somehow, I believed him.


	66. Ice Cream

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

When I finally got home, I found Leon in the living room, waiting for me with a gallon of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I practically collapsed on the couch next to him, grabbed a spoon off the table and dug in. Leon didn't say anything, but I didn't really expect him to.

"God, I love you so much right now," I said a few minutes later, around a mouthful of ice cream.

"Yeah, well, I got the ice cream for me, but I figured you could prolly use some too," Leon laughed.

"We're gonna end up so fat…" I said, poking his belly.

"Yeah, prolly," he said, still laughing.

"But…." I started, thinking aloud, "why do you need ice cream? You didn't…."

"Yeah…Amber and me broke up. Again."

"Oh, God," I moaned. "What happened this time, do I even want to ask?"

"Nah," he muttered, "prolly not. Just the same old shit, you know."

"Our lives suck so much, don't they?" I asked, leaning against him.

"Yeah, yeah they do," he sighed as he wrapped his arm around me.


	67. Go Find Letty

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Dom!" Mia yelled from the garage office, where she was working on the books, "Phone!"

"I'm kinda busy here, Mia," I shouted back, barely lifting my head out from under the hood of the '78 Cougar XR7 Leon'd bought at the last government auction, thinking the luxobarge would be an easy sell to Edwin or one of his crew…or anyone else trying to play like he was a pimp. "Can you take a message?"

"I really think you should take the call, Dom…" Mia answered, still not leaving the office.

"God…" I muttered, pulling myself away from the car. "What the fuck is so important that it couldn't wait until I finish working on that damn car?" I demanded as I walked into the office.

"It's Thomas," Mia said, smirking at me.

"Oh," was all I could answer. I took a second to calm myself down before taking the phone from her.

"Hey, Thomas, what's up?" I asked, shooting Mia a look when she just kept standing right there next to me.

"Don't you have work or something to do?" I asked, glaring at her as I cupped my hand over the mouth of the phone. "Or maybe I should just have **you** talk to him?"

She just rolled her eyes and backed up about two feet - still obviously trying to listen in on the conversation.

"Okay, yeah, good," I said, turning my attention back to Thomas. "I'll try to make it over this afternoon."

"Well?" Mia said almost before I'd hung up. "What is it?"

"I have to go find Letty," I said over my shoulder as I walked out of the garage.


	68. Appointment

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Fine," Mr. Garcia barked into the phone before hanging it up and turning back to the class. "Leticia! Come here and bring your things. Apparently there are more important things for you to do than discuss Hamlet. Or at least the office thinks so. You'll have to get today's notes from someone later. I certainly can't take the time to go make you a copy now. Come on, hurry up. You're wasting my time."

"Oh, shit…" I muttered to myself as I shoved my binder into my backpack, wondering what the hell I'd done to get called to the office **this** time.

"What's going on?" Jamie mouthed at me as I walked past her desk.

I shrugged, whispering back, "No clue…"

"We don't have time for your dilly-dallying, Leticia," Mr. Garcia said, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot impatiently. "Go on, go. Get out."

Luckily, I made it out into the hall before I bust out laughing. "Dilly-dallying?" I thought to myself, "That man is just too much."

Slowly, I headed towards the office, still trying to figure out what I'd done. For once, I had absolutely no clue.

"Oh, Leticia," Mrs. Shepherd said as I walked into the office. "Good. We don't want you to miss your appointment, do we?"

"Appointment?" I echoed, not sure what the hell she was talking about.

"That's right," she nodded, her voice dropping. "For your female problems…"

"What the fuck?" I thought to myself. "If Mia made me another gynecology appointment without telling me…"

"Oh, don't worry, dear," Mrs. Shepherd cooed. "I'm sure you'll be fine…nothing to worry about. Is this your first time going?"

I nodded, mutely, trying to look like I wasn't dying inside.

"Oh, you precious thing… Now, just remember to relax, and you'll be fine. Maybe you'll even have a cute doctor, hmm? Wouldn't that be nice? Now, here's your pass, and I think your ride should be waiting outside… And just remember, if you **are**…well…expecting…there are people here who care about you and want to help you."

I took the pass from her and slowly walked out to the front of the school, anger building inside me. Dom's car pulled up a few minutes later, and I climbed in.

"I'm going to kill your sister," I started, before I'd even gotten the door shut behind me. "Who the fuck does she think she is, making me an appointment with a gynecologist? And then not even telling me about it! And **then** telling Mrs. Shepherd what the appointment is for! I swear, the old bat's hoping I'll get molested by the doctor or something… Not to mention that now she thinks I'm pregnant! I can just see it, there'll be a note on the whiteboard in the faculty room within an hour, if there isn't one already… 'Leticia Gonzalez is pregnant, so please be considerate of her special needs in this difficult time.' or some shit like that… And where **is** Mia? She does this to me and then doesn't even have the decency to show up so I can yell at her?"

Dom just let me go - he knows better than to try and stop me when I get worked up about something.

"Where are we going?" I asked a few minutes later, when we got on the freeway. "The clinic's in the other direction…unless you're not gonna make me go to the appointment…"

Dom just started laughing. "Letty," he said, looking over at me, "there's no appointment. You're not going to the doctor. I just used that as an excuse to get you out of school…"

"What?" I growled, glaring at him. "So all this is **your** fault? And you just let me sit here and rant about Mia… Gynecologist?? **What** the fuck made you come up with that? You couldn't have just left it at a doctor's appointment??"

"Well…" he replied, ducking his head and looking at me from the corner of his eye, like a little boy who knows he's in trouble. "Mrs. Shepherd asked, and it was the first thing I could come up with…"

I had to laugh at that. "The **first** type of doctor you could come up with was a **gynecologist**? Guess we know what **you** were thinking about… So you pulled me out of school just so we could go somewhere and fuck? Couldn't wait till I got home? Where **are** we going, anyways?"

"No, that's not the reason I pulled you out of school," Dom said, rolling his eyes at me.

"Oh," I sighed, actually a little disappointed. "So what's up?"

"We're going to celebrate," Dom said, reaching over to wrap his hand in mine.


	69. We Stay Away, You Stay Away

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

Letty was asleep by the time we got to Thomas's office. I left her in the car while I went in to take care of the details - just a few things I needed to sign. I think I practically skipped into the building, I was so happy… I couldn't keep the grin off my face. Everything was finally settled, and our lives could get back to normal.

My good mood lasted through all the bureaucracy, signing my name a million different times as Thomas watched to make sure it was all right. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I was done.

"Thanks, Thomas," I said, shaking his hand. "I really appreciate your help…don't know what I would've done without you."

"Eh, it was no problem, Dom," he replied, grinning at me. "If you ever need a lawyer again, you just let me know. It's good to be able to help regular people for a change, instead of giant corporations… I enjoyed it."

"Yeah, well, if your car ever needs working on…" I laughed, turning to walk out the door.

I accidentally bumped into someone as I was walking through the lobby, turned to apologize, and my good mood crashed.

It was Julie.

"Hey," I said slowly. "How're you doing, Julie?"

"Fine," she snapped, "no thanks to you."

I nodded, and went to walk past her, but she reached out and grabbed my arm.

"Dom…please…" she said softly, "why couldn't you just do this one thing for me? If you ever cared anything for me at all… There's still time!"

"Julie…" I tried to stop her, but she just kept talking.

"We could…we could tell them it was all a mistake… That they messed up at the hospital, with the specimens… My baby girl needs a daddy, Dom…"

"You're right, Jules," I sighed. "She does. But I'm not it. I just got done signing all the papers…it's over."

"You fucking asshole…" she hissed, swinging her fists at me.

"Julie…" I said, grabbing her arms, trying to get her to stop. "Jules…calm down!"

"Toretto!" someone yelled.

It was Johnny, walking into the lobby.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing with my sister?" he said, walking up to us. "Take your fucking hands off of her…"

I dropped my hands, stepped back from Julie, not wanting to aggravate Johnny any more.

"I don't believe you…" Johnny growled, getting right up in my face. "First you fuck her, knock her up, then you **humiliate** her, get someone to fake the paternity tests… Leave her alone! And don't ever expect to see your daughter…I'll get a restraining order against you if I have to."

I couldn't help it, I just started laughing. I couldn't believe that Johnny **still** thought the kid was mine.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Johnny screamed.

I got serious then…it looked like he was just barely hanging onto his control.

"You all are my problem, Johnny," I said lowly. "You know…it's funny. I haven't **touched** your sister in years, let alone fucked her… Even at the races, when she was begging me to. See, I **have** a girl…a girl I love. A girl I'm gonna be with for the rest of my life. There's no reason I would go anywhere **near** Julie. Not voluntarily. And yet…"

"What!"

"Well…it's just a little strange, don't you think?" I asked. "I mean…your family never liked me, right? You all hate me…hated that Julie and me were together back in high school… Cubans are only good for making cigars, right? Not for fucking your sister…"

"Would you get to the fucking point already!" Johnny demanded.

"Think about it…" I said slowly. "You all hate me, and Julie knows that. But she keeps insisting I'm her baby's daddy, even when she knows it's not true…even when medical tests have proven I'm not. So…what's she hiding? Why in the world would she say it's **my** kid? Who could your family possibly think was worse than me?"

Johnny just stood there for a minute, thinking. Then he turned on Julie.

"He's right! Who the fuck is the father, Julie?" he screamed at her.

"I…I…" she stuttered.

"I've had enough of your bullshit, Jules! You are going to tell me, and you're going to tell me now."

"I…" she started, tears rolling down her face, streaking her mascara. "I don't know…"

"What!" Johnny said, his voice filled with disbelief. "What the fuck is **that** supposed to mean? You were **there**, weren't you? How could you not know?"

"It was…" she whispered, "it was at a party. A frat party. I got drunk, and well…I think maybe someone put something in my drink. I just went upstairs with any guy who showed any interest. I don't even know who all of them were…"

"You fucking whore…" Johnny sneered, before slapping her across the face.

"Johnny…" I warned. I didn't want to get involved…wanted to get myself as far away from Julie as possible. But I wasn't just going to stand there and watch him smack her around, either.

"So…" he said, turning back to me. "We're done, huh, Toretto?"

"Looks that way," I answered, turning to leave.

"One thing, though…" he said slowly, stepping in front of me. "My sister's been humiliated enough…don't you think? This doesn't need to get out. We'll deal with the disrespect she's brought onto the family name ourselves…"

"Long as she stops telling people the kid is mine…" I said, "I don't see why I'd ever mention any of this again."

"Good," Johnny nodded. "We have an understanding then. Right?"

"Right," I nodded back. "But Johnny…" I continued, "if you should happen to change your mind about this little discussion…mistakenly decide that things went down differently than what's actually happened here… If you even think about taking this further…if I hear even a **rumor** that you or Lance or anyone else is coming after Letty, or Mia, or anyone else on my team… Well, it wouldn't be good for your health."

"Hey, Toretto, I hear you…" Johnny said, laughing a little to himself. "We stay away, you stay away, everyone's happy."

"Exactly," I said. And with that, I walked outside and back to Letty.


	70. Tell Me You Didn't

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"What's going on?" I asked, yawning as Dom got back into the car.

"Oh," he said, "I just needed to sign some stuff for Thomas. Had a little…discussion, with Johnny and Julie…"

"What?" I said, suddenly wide awake.

"Yeah," Dom nodded. "She had the kid…a few weeks ago, I guess…"

"Good!" I said, grinning. "So I can finally beat the shit out of her, now that she's not pregnant anymore, right?"

"Nah, baby," Dom said, laughing as he looked over at me. "It's over. Johnny and I came to an understanding. They stay away, we stay away…"

"What?" I practically yelled. "Dom…tell me you didn't… I have been waiting to kick Julie's ass for six whole fucking months… Please tell me you didn't cut a deal with Johnny so now I can't go anywhere near her…"

He didn't say anything.

"Oh God, you did…" I moaned. "Fuck! You're gonna owe me for that, you know…"

"Okay, Let," Dom said. He was trying to play it off like he was all serious and shit, but I could tell he was just barely keeping a straight face.

"Gah," I said, turning to look out the window. "You're horrible, you know that?"

"Well…you gonna stick by me, horrible or not?" Dom said slowly, reaching over to take my hand in his.

"Maybe," I sighed. "I guess. I'm stuck with you…couldn't get over you even if I wanted to."

"Good," Dom said, bringing my hand up to his mouth and kissing my palm. "I never want you to get over me. 'Sides," he laughed, looking over at me, "I'm sure you'll find another girl who deserves to get the shit kicked out of her soon enough…"

"Or maybe I'll just kick the shit out of **you**," I muttered, rolling my eyes.


	71. Santa Monica

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Where the hell are we going **now**?" Letty asked as I pulled onto the freeway, still headed the opposite direction from home.

She was still annoyed with me…obviously. Couldn't really blame her - I knew she'd been wanting to get revenge on Julie for a long time, and I'd just taken all of that away from her. Still, though, I didn't regret the truce with Johnny. If we didn't put a stop to everything right then, I knew it would just keep escalating… I knew the Tran family wouldn't hesitate to press charges against us…and the last thing I needed was Letty in jail. I don't think I could handle that.

"You'll see," I said softly, looking over at her.

"Fine," she huffed, pulling away from me slightly.

I had to keep myself from laughing. Letty was so upset that she wouldn't be able to go after Julie, she hadn't even realized what it all really meant.

Eventually, she fell asleep again.

I didn't wake her up right when we got to the pier, just sat there watching her sleep until she stretched, turned towards me and opened her eyes.

"Hey," I said lowly, "you okay? You've been sleeping a lot lately…"

"Yeah," Letty answered, running her hands through her hair as she sat up. "I'm fine. Just tired, you know?"

I nodded. I'd been tired too - hell, all of us were. We needed a break…something to get away from it all and just chill for a while. I was thinking of taking the team down to Mexico as soon as Letty was done with school…Cozumel or Cancun or Puerto Vallarta…some crazy resort town. Or maybe even some sleepy little village no one'd ever heard of. But that would have to wait…

"Where are…" Letty started before interrupting herself. "Dom!" she went on after a minute, "this is Santa Monica!"

"Yeah," I said, grinning at her, "it is."

"What are we doing in Santa Monica?" she asked, a shocked look still on her face.

"Well," I said, laughing a little, "I remembered how you always used to beg to come here, so… Thought we could use some fun time."

Letty grinned at me, and quickly leaned over to kiss me before jumping out of the car. "I am **so** going to kick your ass at skee ball!" she shouted over her shoulder as she headed towards the pier.

By the time I caught up with Letty, she was feeding money into one of the change machines in the arcade.

"Hey," she said, still focusing on the machine, "you got any dollar bills? I only had a few…"

"Yeah," I said, reaching into my wallet, "I'm pretty sure I do…or a five, at least…"

Smiling to myself, I stepped behind Letty and reached around her to put the money into the machine, stopping to kiss her neck first. She leaned back into me for half a second, and then stiffened up.

"Dom!" she hissed, "What do you think you're doing? I mean…I know we're in Santa Monica and all, and it's not very likely that anyone Johnny knows would see us out here, but…"

"Let," I shushed her, bending down a little to pick the quarters up out of the machine and dump them into her front pockets, "it's okay…"

"Okay?" she said, turning around to look at me.

"Letty," I laughed, "you still don't get it, do you? It's over…we don't have to worry about Johnny any more. The paternity test came back, and there's no way in hell I could be the father of that kid…"

"Well, I knew that!" Letty protested.

"I know," I said, still laughing. "But now we have proof. Proof that's good enough for the courts, proof that'll stand up against anything else Julie tries to pull… Johnny's not gonna be trying to come after us anymore, I don't have to worry about him trying to hurt you or anyone else I love…."

Letty just looked at me blankly, like she was still trying to process everything I'd told her.

"We don't have to hide anymore, baby," I said, leaning down to kiss her neck again. "We don't have to pretend we're not together," I continued, whispering into her ear as she shivered beneath me. "I can kiss you," I said, pausing to do just that, "without having to worry about who's watching…"

"We… We don't have to stay home all the time? We can go out and actually do things together? I don't have to just sit there and watch while all the sluts at the races throw themselves at you?" Letty asked, breaking into a smile.

"Yep," I nodded, grinning back at her.

"Dom!" she squealed, jumping into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and kissing me.

"C'mon," I laughed, when she finally broke the kiss, "we don't want to get thrown out of here this quick, do we?"

"Nah," Letty said, leaning against me, "after all, I still have to beat you at skee ball…"


	72. Always Going to be Like This?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

Letty was leaning against the railing of the pier, staring out into the ocean, when I finally got back to her.

"Hey, baby," I said as I walked up and wrapped my arms around her.

"Hey," she replied, sinking back against me.

We stood there for a while, not saying anything, just looking out at the water and the darkness.

"You want to go down to the beach?" I asked, finally breaking the silence.

Letty didn't say anything, just took my hand and started walking towards the stairs leading down to the beach. She was quiet even as we settled ourselves onto the sand, her sitting between my legs, laying back against my chest. The wind had picked up a little, and it kept whipping her hair against my face, until I managed to twist it into a strange sort of braid.

"Is it always going to be like this?" Letty finally asked, her voice so low I had to strain to hear it over the wind and the water.

"Like what?" I asked, turning her towards me.

"Is it always going to be the two of us, no matter what?" she repeated, looking down at the sand. "Are you always going to want me?"

"Yes," I answered, reaching down to stroke her face, brushing my fingers over her lips. "I meant what I said back there, Let. I couldn't even imagine a life without you next to me. You know that…right?"

"Yeah…" she said slowly, "I do. It's just…sometimes, it's like it's all too good to be true, you know?"

I nodded, didn't say anything.

"Like, when I was little…" she went on, "I always used to dream about being with you. I remember, whenever my mom was high, or in a bad mood, and I couldn't get away, I'd just go to my room and pretend. You were always some prince, coming to rescue me…"

I laughed a little, thinking of myself dressed up in tights and a crown, climbing up the side of some tower to get to the princess inside. "Must've made quite a sight…"

"Well, it wasn't **that** much of a stretch," Letty said, sounding a little indignant. "You were like the king of the neighborhood… Everyone wanted to be around you, remember? Still do…"

"Yeah, I remember," I said, running my fingers through her hair.

"I don't want to be 'that girl,' Dom…" Letty sighed. "You know, the one who's always waiting for some guy to come rescue her. But…on some level, I **am** that girl. I've been dreaming of it practically my whole life, and now here you are, rescuing me…"

"No, baby," I said softly, "the truth is…you're the one who rescued me."


	73. It's Real

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Am I really here?" I asked, finally looking up at Dom. "Are you sure this is really happening?"

He just looked back at me.

"I mean," I went on, trying to explain, "you're sure I'm not gonna wake up and be back at my mom's house, trying to get away from whatever guy is hanging around at the moment?"

Dom hugged me close, his hands drifting towards my ass. "It's real…promise," he whispered against my face, and I could feel his lips brushing against my hair.

"So this is my life, huh?" I said, smiling. "With Dominic Toretto saying he loves me and that someday we're gonna get married…"

"Yep," he said, grinning back at me. "This is your life, for as long as you want it. So…what d'you say, you gonna stick by me?"

"Mmmm," I said, leaning into him more. "Lemme think about that…"

Suddenly I was shrieking with laughter as Dom picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and started jogging towards the car.


	74. Don't Ever Leave Me

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

Letty fell asleep again sometime during the drive home…didn't even wake up when I pulled up to the house.

"Hey, babe," I said lowly, nudging her arm a little, "c'mon, we're home…"

Letty just kind of grunted, rolled away from me. I knew she wasn't gonna be waking up anytime soon.

"Okay," I said, laughing to myself as I got out of the car. I was still grinning when I got over to Letty's side and opened the door.

"So…" I said, poking her a little, "should I just leave you out here, or you coming in to bed?"

"Bed…" Letty mumbled. I knew she wasn't really awake, though. She has this weird thing, where she can have a complete conversation with you while she's sleeping, and in the morning, she won't remember any of it.

"You know," I said as I picked her up and started walking towards the house, "I can't take you anywhere lately…always falling asleep on me. You tryin' to tell me I'm boring or something? Or maybe you just like being carried around or something…"

Somehow I got Letty inside, upstairs and into our room without waking Mia up. Laid her down on the bed, fumbled with her boots, nearly drove myself crazy tryin' to get them off of her. And then her jeans - took nearly ten minutes to get those off. The shirt was easy enough…just had to pick her up, pull it over her head and then toss it into the corner with the rest of the dirty clothes.

I stripped down to my boxers and then collapsed next to Letty. She nestled against me, and I just laid there and watched her for a while. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have her…couldn't believe how much I loved her. I never really thought, after Linder, that I could have a normal life…thought I'd fucked everything up.

I kept thinking of Miguel…thinking about the way he'd looked at her, at the party. I should've seen it coming, I guess…should've known that eventually there'd be some guy who was into her, thinking we weren't together anymore. Right then, I started thinking of ways to show everyone - **especially** Miguel - that Letty and I were still together…had always been together, were always gonna be together…

Started thinking, at least until Letty rolled over, pressed her face against my chest. Then, it was just the two of us again.

"Don't ever leave me, okay baby?" I whispered, kissing her forehead as I closed my eyes.

"Never…" I heard Letty mumble, right before I fell asleep.

"Dom!" Mia shouted as she opened the door, "You're gonna be late! My alarm didn't go off this morning or something…so I don't have time to really make breakfast. I can do toast, maybe an egg… Or I could just bring something by the garage for you later, after my first class…."

"I'm not going to the garage today, Mia," I said, interrupting her.

"Wait…what? Why?" she asked, confused.

"Well…Letty has the day off from school, so I thought we'd just hang out together before the race tonight."

"Oh. Okay," Mia said, turning back towards the door. "I'll just…I'll just leave, then… But…Dom?"

"Yeah?" I asked, sitting up to look at her.

"That's really sweet of you, what you're doing. I know Letty'll love it, that you're taking time off from work to hang out with her. I'm…Well, I'm really glad things are working out for you guys."

"Yeah, me too," I said, smiling as she closed the door.

Within a minute, I was back asleep.


	75. Mostly Just Happy

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

I groaned, stretched, and then froze.

Something - **someone** - was in my bed.

I nearly fell out of the bed before I realized it was Dom, asleep next to me.

"Dom!" I hissed, shaking him a little, trying to wake him up.

"What," he muttered, not even opening his eyes.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked. "You should've left for the garage hours ago!"

"Not going…spending today with you," he answered.

"What? Why?"

"'Cause I want to…" Dom said, before leaning over and kissing my neck.

"Oh," I said, still a little confused but mostly just happy.

"So what were you going to do today?" Dom asked, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me up against him.

"Uhm…" I started, trying to think. "Not much, really…. Hang around the house, get ready for the race tonight…. Mia asked me to go to the store for her…. That's pretty much it."

"So…" Dom said slowly, sliding a hand up to my tit, "we can stay in bed for a while, then?"

"Oh definitely," I said, grinning.


	76. All Over You

It was almost seven-thirty when Mia started pounding on the door, yelling for us to get our asses moving if we were still planning on going to the races.

I almost didn't want to go – wanted to just stay with Dom, keep him all to myself a little longer. Even though we'd been lounging around in bed all day, it didn't seem like enough. It exhausted me – thinking about having to go through another night of acting like I didn't care what Dom was doing or who he was talking to.

"Well," I sighed as I stretched, "I guess it's time for another show."

"What're you talking about?" Dom asked, his voice low and gravelly.

Then I remembered. All the shit with Julie was settled…we didn't have to hide any more. "Shit," I laughed, "I must be trippin' – I forgot!" I almost started giggling as I slid my hands over Dom's chest, I was so giddy. "I am gonna be all over you tonight!" I told him before getting up and pulling on some clothes.

"Is that a promise?" Dom asked, smirking at me as he climbed out of bed.

"You know it!" I laughed, grinning at him while I sat back down on the bed to pull on my boots.

Two hours later, we were just pulling in to the race location. Kind of ironic – we'd ended up having to wait around with Mia for almost an hour. I was almost literally bouncing in my seat as I drove up behind Dom. I was that excited to show off our relationship to everyone.

When I climbed out of my car, Dom was standing there waiting for me. I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I stepped into his arms. Holding me close, he kissed me just the way I like him to – our bodies pressed so close I could feel his dick starting to harden.

"What the fuck, holmes?" I could hear Hector drawl as Dom pulled back from me a little. "With her, not with her, make up your damn mind already!" The boys grinned at each other as they bumped fists.

"She's mine, bro," Dom answered, "get used to it." I felt like I was gonna pee my pants or something, I was so happy – I was fighting, pretty unsuccessfully, to keep a huge grin off my own face.

"Cool, man," Hector replied, "just make sure you take care of her." He stepped in a little closer to Dom, lowering his voice so that I only just heard him add, "Your pops would be happy to see you two together."

I felt so exhilarated in that moment – it was better than when Dom first came back from Lompoc and we started talking, better than racing even. That validation from Hector meant so much to me. It's not even that he was that close of a friend or anything…just that here was someone outside of our little group acknowledging that Dom and I were good together.

The exhilaration didn't last too long, though – all it took was catching a look at Jamie's expression as Dom, Hector and V walked over to Edwin to get the terms of the race hammered out.

"What the fuck, Letty?" she hissed at me, smacking my arm lightly. "What's the deal? I thought Amber was supposed to be one of your best friends!"

I just gaped at her for a second, trying to figure out what I was gonna tell her. "Uhm…Amber's really with Leon. Dom's mine. Look, it's a long-ass story…"

She actually cut me off before I could finish. "Well, you'd better start tellin' it then!" she said. I could hear the confusion in her voice, but this was not the time or the place to lay it all out for her.

"Not now!" I replied, trying to get her to lay off.

I don't know if Jamie even heard me…it almost seemed like she was somewhere else, trying to process everything. "So you've basically been lying to me the whole time I've known you?" she questioned me.

"Jamie, **chill**," I hissed. Now **I** was startin' to get pissed – why couldn't she figure out that I would explain everything later? "Just 'cause you're crushin' on V and hangin' around all the time don't mean you get an all-access pass into our private lives! He's not even all that into you!"

"Whatever," Jamie said, tears coming to her eyes. "I didn't realize I was only hanging around with you 'cuz I like Vince, but if that's what you wanna think, fine. Fuck you, Letty."

I had to get away from Jamie – I felt like shit that she was so upset, but what could I do? Weaving my way through the crowd, away from her, I headed towards where Hector was collecting money for the race.

"Count me in," I said, locking eyes with Dom before digging my wad of cash out of my bra and handing it to Hector. "I need to blow off some steam."

"You okay?" Dom asked me, moving to stand beside me.

"I'm fine!" I snapped. "But Miss Goody-Two-Shoes seems to think seems to think that she should know everything about our damn personal lives," she continuing, gesturing between the two of us. "Bitch has another thing comin', flippin' her lid just 'cause she didn't know all the fine print. She needs to check herself! Fuck…I'm over this shit…when's this damn race start anyway? I'm ready to go!"

Dom sighed, dragging his hand across his forehead. I could tell he was stressed, but he didn't say anything more about Jamie. "Cool," he replied instead, nodding towards Hector. "Let's do this, then."


	77. What About Our Guests?

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

Letty was waiting for me on the front porch when I pulled up to the house. "You sure everything's okay?" I asked as I sat down next to her, grabbing her hand.

"That girl is driving me **crazy**! I swear, she needs to get outta my face…I try to hook her up with Vince, let her hang around all the time, and now she's tryin' to give me shit for not telling her every single thing about my life!" Letty ranted.

"C'mon," I sighed. "I thought you liked her? What happened?"

"She saw us…at the car, before the races I guess," Letty explained, rubbing at her temple as she groaned. "I knew we should've just fuckin' told her, straight up," she continued, slumping against me.

I hoped Letty hadn't pissed Jamie off too bad. I liked the girl – it was good for Letty to have some friends her own age. Plus, it would be nice to see V settle down some. "Maybe you should go see if you can find her?" I suggested, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "Then, after you get that dealt with, we'll go upstairs and I'll give you a massage, get all this tension out…."

"How 'bout I don't go find her, but say I did, and you gimme that massage anyway?" she asked, smirking at me a little.

"It's up to you," I answered, stroking her shoulder. "You're gonna have to talk to her at some point, though – prolly best to just get it over with."

"What part of 'I don't want to talk to her' don't you get?" she snapped at me, pulling away a little before leaning back into me. "Look…I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just…" she stopped suddenly, as though lost for words.

"It's okay," I murmured, knowing I'd been pushing her a little hard. "So you feel like going in and saying hello to our guests for a minute…demonstrate to everybody that we're together, in case they didn't get it earlier?"

"Is there really any doubt that they all know by now?" she laughed, and I could feel the tension leaving her body.

"Yeah, you're right," I replied. "Some of those idiots prolly wouldn't pick up on it if we were fucking right in front of them, though. Well…you ready for that massage, then?"

"Aren't I always?" she asked, leaning in to kissed me. I groaned as she sucked and nibbled on my lower lip, giving me a preview of how that massage would end up. I could already feel myself starting to get hard from her teasing.

She pulled away a little bit, though I could still feel her breath on my skin. "I think you liked that a bit more than you thought you would," she said, before leaning in to kiss me again, simple and innocent this time even though I was ready to continue what she'd started.

"C'mon," I groaned again, "we better go inside before we really are fucking right in front of everybody."

"You'd like it either way," Letty said, smirking at me with a devilish look in her eyes. I could feel my dick jump at her suggestion.

"Yeah, well…" I laughed as I stood up, reaching down to pull her up with me, "I don't want anybody to get ideas 'bout you – Miguel gives me enough stress as it is."

She kissed me then, hard, all tongue, her body pressed as close to me as she could get. "I love you," she said lowly.

"Love you too," I whispered back, my mouth pressed up against her check. Impatiently, I leaned down to kiss her again, backing her up towards the door. This kissed lasted longer…I could feel my hunger for her growing.

"I want you…" she whispered, her teeth nipping at my ear.

"Damn, Letty," I replied, murmuring against her neck, "You tryin' to drive me insane? C'mon, let's head upstairs?"

"But what about our guests?" she asked, the teasing evident in her voice.

"Forget about 'em," I said, turning to open the front door.

I could feel Letty's hands on my ass as she followed behind me…had to struggle not to jump her in front of everybody. She took that decision out of my hands, though…. As soon as the door shut behind us, she pulled me into a deep kiss. I still remember that kiss – after all these years together, that one moment still stands out to me.

I could almost feel everyone's eyes on us, but I didn't care. "Damn…." I heard someone call out from behind me. Waving my hand towards the room, I tried to usher Letty towards the stairs without letting her mouth escape mine.

As Letty's legs wrapped around my waist, I moved my hands down under her ass to support her and slowly started climbing the stairs. She was driving me crazy, her mouth teasing me, sucking and nibbling at every part of me she could reach.

Somehow I managed to stumble up the stairs and into my room without dropping Letty or knocking into anything…well, not too much, at least. Her laughing the whole way didn't help much, though. I knew how she felt – I was so goddamned happy to be able to let people see us together, to let them know she was mine. Kicking a pile of clothes out of the way, I finally collapsed onto the bed with Letty in my lap.

Almost immediately, Letty's hands were assaulting me – fighting to get my shirt off. Somehow she managed…not sure exactly how she did, 'cause I don't think her lips left mine for more than a couple seconds. She started fumbling with my belt buckle, and my breathing hitched. I couldn't believe how much this girl turned me on…still can't.

"Letty, wait a second," I groaned, pulling her hands away from my belt so I could get her shirt off of her.

As soon as I had her shirt off, her hands moved back down to my belt, undoing it and then fumbling with the button on my jeans. She pulled the zipper down so slowly I thought I would go crazy. I couldn't keep my mouth off of Letty – kissing her, nuzzling that place on her neck that always gets her going. I couldn't wait to feel her body wrapped around me, couldn't keep myself away from her.

With my hands on Letty's hips, I slowed down a little…she was still wearing way too many damn clothes. I had to reign myself in a little, make sure this was as good for her as it was for me, even though the look in her eyes was real close to pushin' me over the edge. Slowly, I laid back against the bed, rolling over so that she was beneath me. It must've taken me nearly five minutes to get her boots off…I kept getting so distracted every time I looked up at her.

She tackled me as I moved back next to her on the bed, kissing me as she moved to straddle my hips. I teased her…running my hands slowly up and down her sides, coming ever closer to her breasts. Rolling us onto our sides, I finally was able to get what I wanted.

"You make me so happy, Lett," I muttered before scooting down to take her nipple into my mouth, rolling the other between my fingers. I could feel her squirming against me, knew she was just about ready for me. "What do you want, Letty?" I asked, bringing my mouth up to hers again, looking into her eyes as my hand traveled down the length of her body, wetting my fingers in her juices before I began rhythmically fingering her.

Her hips bucked against my hand as she kissed me. "Dom…please," she groaned, and I couldn't help but feel pleased with myself. Feeling how close she was, I slowed my hand. Chuckling to myself as her teeth scraped against my lips, I rolled her onto her back and positioned myself between her legs before quickly sliding into her.

I stroked into her faster and faster, loving the way she felt beneath me, staring into her eyes as her body trembled around me. Just as I was thinking I wasn't gonna be able to keep this up very much longer, I felt her muscles tightening around my dick, knew that she was satisfied. Picking up my own pace, I slammed into her even faster, losing myself in the feeling of being inside her.

Her eyes were open as I finished, watching me as I collapsed against her. "I love you," she whispered in my ear, her nails scratching softly at my scalp as I panted with exhausted satisfaction.

"Love you too," I murmured, turning my head so that my lips brushed her cheek. "You happy?"

"Yeah…" she said, a little wistfully. "We don't have to go down to the party, do we?"

"Prolly should," I answered slowly, "just to make sure they haven't destroyed the place yet. You could stay up here if you want, though."

She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at the clock. "Five minutes give you long enough to do that and get back here?" she asking, smirking at me.

"What, you got more plans for me already?" I replied, laughing at her. "I ain't gonna make any promises, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

Letty grinned, pulling me back down for one last kiss, using just enough tongue to make me moan. "Hurry back…" she whispered, nibbling at my lip as I pulled away.

"I will," I replied, hurriedly toweling myself off before pulling on a pair of sweats and a beater. I just needed to make sure Vince and Leon weren't too drunk to handle any problems that might come up. "Sure you don't want to come with?" I asked her, my eyes raking over her body as I moved towards the door.

"If I go with you, we'll never get back here to enjoy the rest of my plans!" she answered, looking like she was about to bust out laughing. "Baby, just go already!"

"Fine, okay…" I laughed, opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. I rubbed my hand over my forehead as I descended the stairs. That girl was gonna wear me out if I wasn't careful – not that I minded.


	78. All the Sense in the World

I found Jamie outside - saw her sittin' out there in the dark when I went to check the back door. "You still here?" I asked, setting a Corona in front of her as I sat down across the table.

"Yeah…" she muttered. "It's not like I could've gone home without facing the third degree, so I figured I'd be safe out here…didn't think I'd see either one of you two after your grand entrance."

"Is this supposed to be a peace offering or something?" she continued after a few moments, fighting to push the lime into her bottle.

"Depends…" I replied, trying not to laugh at her. "Is it working?"

"Not really," she answered, rolling her eyes. I could tell she didn't really want to talk to me.

"She feels bad, you know," I tried to explain.

"Yeah, sure," Jamie scoffed.

"She wouldn't even come downstairs…she's scared she'll have to talk to you, and she doesn't apologize real well," I continued, even though I could tell Jamie wasn't buying it.

"Look…" she said, standing up and starting to walk away, "tell V he can get my number from Mia if he wants to talk or whatever."

"Wait," I replied, grabbing at her arm to keep her from leaving. "You can stay here, if there'd be shit for you at home."

I could see her considering her options, before she sat back down at the table.

"I didn't know, that first time," I started, looking down at the table. "I didn't know that we were gonna end up like this, that she was gonna be my entire fuckin' world. My dad knew, I think…but he wasn't around any more to actually see it."

I almost thought she'd get up and walk away again, but she didn't…just licked the lime juice off her fingers and looked at me.

"She was…" I said, thinking back to that day with Sly, "she was pissed off, but she was beautiful. I hadn't seen her for two years…didn't even recognize this girl standin' in front of me at first."

"Wait—" Jamie interrupted, "Where'd you go for so long?"

I just looked at her, a little surprised. I thought everyone knew. "I did a couple in Lompoc," I explained, before continuing. "I fought it at first, you know. With Letty. Tried my hardest, but I couldn't stay away from her. I know it probably don't make sense…lookin' at us from the outside."

"C'mon…" Jamie laughed, "the way you two looked at the races tonight? And then inside? Makes all the sense in the world."

With that, she stood up from the table, nearly knocking over her beer. "You love each other."


	79. Definitely Not Scary

"You decent, Letty?" someone asked, pushing the door open a little.

"Yeah," I called out, sighing. I could hear the resignation in my voice - it would almost have been enough to piss me off if I wasn't so tired.

It was all just so fucking tiring.

Sitting up on the bed, I steeled myself for another bitching out – there was no way she was just gonna let this go, not after I blew her off at the races.

Couldn't blame her, really.

"Why're you hiding up here, Letty?" Jamie asked. "You scared of me or something?"

"I ain't scared of shit…" I muttered, my voice trembling a little, "and you…you are **definitely** not scary, Jamie."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked, her words tumbling over each other.

"At first," I replied, my voice slowly gaining strength, "at first I didn't know if I could trust you. And then…I thought you'd act exactly the same way that you did."

"And how is that, exactly?" she asked. "Hurt that you didn't think I could keep my mouth shut? I've been telling you everything about my life…everything! And you…you've been keeping the most important part of yours a secret. You should've told me, Letty."

"I get that…I do," I explained. "But you just jumped all over me. I tried to get you to hold off, and you wouldn't. And right in the middle of the races, right in front of everybody…it wasn't exactly the place I wanted to lay out our whole story."

"And yeah…" I continued, "I should've told you before I was all over Dom. But I was so happy…I'm **so** damned happy with him. I couldn't wait. I couldn't wait long enough to tell you, and I couldn't explain right there at the races, and then…"

"And then the shit hit the fan?" Jamie interrupted me, smiling a little.

"Exactly," I answered, feeling relieved.

We just sat there quietly, for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. But somehow I knew that things were gonna be okay with us.

"I lied, y'know," I said after a while, breaking the silence when I got bored of staring at the ceiling.

"What now?" Jamie groaned, laughing a little.

"'Bout Vince. When I said he wasn't into you," I explained. "So you gonna make a move on him, or what?"

"Me?" Jamie practically squealed, before continuing. "Shouldn't he be the one making the moves? He is the guy after all…"

"Yeah sure…" I snorted, "if you don't mind waitin' for him to figure out what to do with you - you're not like the girls he's used to y'know."

"So, what?" she asked, "I'm supposed to start running around in practically nothing?"

"That's not what I said," I replied. "Just that V doesn't know what to do with you. He knows you're not like that…so he's waiting to see what **you** do."

"Well…" she started, slowly, "doesn't mean I couldn't tease him a little bit, right? You got any clothes I could change into? Show some more skin?"

"Sure do," I laughed, turning to rummage through Dom's closet. "I'm pretty sure that skirt got left over here, last time I wore it…" I muttered, practically to myself, just shoving clothes out of my way.

"So…how long did it take for you and Dom, to…y'know?" Jamie asked, quietly.

"To do what?" I questioned, not exactly sure where she was going with this.

"Well…y'know…" she mumbled, "when did you fall in love with him?"

"Shit," I answered, stopping to think for a minute, remembering back to before Mr. Toretto was gone. "I've loved him since I was…'bout eleven…somewhere in there."

"And you just got with him a year ago?" Jamie asked, her voice getting higher.

"Well, shit!" I exclaimed, almost laughing at her reaction, "it's not like he was gonna get with me when I was eleven and he was fifteen!"

I was going to continue explaining, but Jamie shrieked, interrupting me, "He's **that** old?"

"Well how old did you **think** he was?" I asked her, busting out laughing.

"Is **Vince** that old?" she asked, her voice pitching even higher.

"Yep," I answered, almost looking forward to her reaction. "V's just 'bout six months younger…one of the reasons Dom went to Lompoc and V didn't."

"Oh my god!" Jamie squealed, "I knew they were older, but I didn't know exactly…" She paused for a second before continuing, "How old **are** they, exactly?"

"Dom's twenty-one," I answered, "Vince's about to turn that towards the end of the month."

"I think I just figured out what to give him for his birthday…" Jamie said, trailing off.

"Oh really?" I asked, smirking at her. "And what's that?"

I couldn't see her, but I could practically feel her blushing. Finally, at the bottom of the closet, I found what I'd been looking for. "Here we go!" I cry, flinging the skirt in her direction.

"My parents would **kill** me, if they saw me wearing this…" Jamie said slowly. "Well, I guess what they don't know won't hurt them," she continued after a few seconds, smiling nervously at me.

"Okay," I said, climbing up from the closet floor, "put the skirt on…now we just gotta find Mia and Amber for hair and makeup. I don't do that shit."


	80. Like You And Dom?

"I look like a fucking **hooker**!" I could hear Jamie muttering behind me as we headed downstairs.

"Wasn't that the point?" I asked, turning to look at her over my shoulder. "Just make sure you don't bend over, okay?"

"He's not even down here, Letty!" Jamie whined, after we'd been through the kitchen and dining room without seeing the boys.

"He's gotta be here somewhere..." I muttered, turning back to her. "Ain't like he's gonna go home...V's here practically more than **I** am."

"Like you don't practically live in Dom's room?" Mia teased, from behind Jamie.

"Hey, now!" I protested, glaring at her. "I stay at Leon's…sometimes…."

"Yeah, right…" Amber continued, taking up where Mia'd left off. "Name the last time you can remember."

Racking my brain, I could only glare at them. "Uhm…well…" I started, before trailing off, giving up.

"I think that proves my point!" Amber crowed, looking way too damn pleased with herself.

"Dom's bed is bigger than mine!" I blurted, trying to justify myself.

"I **so** did not need that picture in my head!" Jamie groaned, her hand covering her mouth.

"And I…" I continued softly, not quiet believing I was admitting this, even to them, "I don't sleep right, without him."

I could feel their eyes on me, but nobody said anything.

"Okay, okay…back to why I'm dressed like this…" Jamie finally said, breaking the silence. "Where **is** he, anyway?"

"Well…find one of the boys, you'll probably find the rest of them," Amber answered, on her tiptoes, scanning the crowd.

"Like you three?" Jamie asked, gesturing towards Amber, Mia and me, her voice a little wistful.

"Yeah," Mia answered, laughing. "Pretty much…guess we're a foursome, now, though, yeah? Just need to find a guy for me, and we'd be a perfect set…."

"There they are!" Amber interrupted, pointing into the living room. "Dom and V, 'least…don't see Leon."

"C'mon, Letty!" Jamie exclaimed, grabbing my arm and actually pulling me along a few steps with her towards the boys. I could practically feel the excitement coming off her, like we were going to Disneyland or something.

Even though Jamie was urging me on, I just stood still for a few seconds, letting out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. "Any idea what you're gonna say to him?" I asked, holding her back.

Jamie just opened her mouth and stared at me. "I've got **nothing**…" she groaned, a look of panic coming across her face.

I looked her over, remembering Dom's reaction the last time I'd worn that particular skirt to a race. "Honestly, don't know that you're gonna have to say too much, Jamie. Vince prolly won't even be able to think straight, looking at you."

"So let him just come to me?" she asked, her voice squeaking a little.

I just laughed, watching Dom over her shoulder. "Guess you're gonna have to, 'cause they're coming this way…" I warned her.

"Oh my god," Jamie hissed, her eyes flicking around the room like she was looking for an escape route.

"Calm down!" I commanded, elbowing her in the side.

"I am calm!" she insisted.

"Sure 'bout that?" I smirked at her, elbowing her again. Sure, I was trying not to give her a hard time, but I could practically feel her shaking next to me. Figured if she got a little pissed off at me again, she'd get over her nerves.

"So what am I supposed to do?" she asked, still sounding panicked. "Just shove my tongue down his throat or something? I mean…like you and Dom?"

"Might not hurt…you wouldn't have to talk to him at least, then!" I said, laughing. But it kind of made me wonder what Dom and I looked like, to other people…what they thought our relationship was like.

Even though I knew what she was thinking, I was still a little surprised when Jamie grabbed Vince when he walked up to us and just laid one on him. I'd almost suggested it, actually, but still….

I couldn't think about Jamie for too long, though, once Dom draped his arm across my shoulders. Sighing, I leaned into him, my arms wrapping around his waist.

"What's up with that?" he asked, nodding over towards Jamie and Vince.

"Told her she was gonna have to make a move, since he didn't know what to do with her…" I explained, my mouth against his chest.

"What am I gonna do with you?" Dom asked, his hand coming down to stroke my back before moving back to my shoulders.

"What?" I laughed, looking up at him. "**She's** the one that came up with that!"

"Yeah…sure…" Dom replied. I could feel his sides shaking a little, like he was trying not to laugh. Instead, he pulled me into a kiss…sweet, and slow this time.

I pulled back from him a little, nuzzling his cheek, his stubble scratching my face. "Well…" I murmured, might've provided **some** inspiration…apparently I've got my tongue down your throat all the damn time…"

He really **did** start laughing, then. "I'm not complaining, baby."

"Didn't think you would…" I replied, smirking at him.

"You and Jamie make nice?" he asked then, changing the subject.

"Yeah," I sighed, kissing him lightly. "Apparently we have…thanks."

"No problem," he mumbled before kissing me back. "Mmm…" he sighed against my mouth, "love you…."

"Love you too," I answered, my lips still touching his.

I was so tired…not sleepy, just exhausted in general. It felt like we'd been on a non-stop roller coaster for the past few months. Sometimes it'd seemed like Dom was the only thing that kept me going – the way he looks at me from across the garage, the feel of his hands on me….

"You a'ight?" he asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I should've known he'd see right through me.

"Yeah," I sighed, resting my head against his chest. "I'm just glad all the bullshit's over, y'know?"

"You wanna go to sleep?" he asked, holding me against him as we stood in the living room, one hand resting on the back of my head and the other at the small of my back.

"Yeah…" I murmured against my chest, "sounds good."

"Want me to come with you?" he asked quietly, stroking my back with his thumb. "Don't gotta be down here…the boys can handle anything that comes up now."

"Sounds good," I said again, before realizing I was repeating myself.

"C'mon…upstairs with your ass already…" he said quietly, one hand moving to my hip, the other to tilt my chin up so I was looking at him. "Unless you wanna fall asleep right here…."

"Here?" I laughed, looking around a bit. Most of the crowd had dispersed, but there **were** still quite a few people hanging around. "Yeah…somehow I don't think I'd be doing much sleeping…."

"Carry me?" I continued after a minute, my voice so low I wasn't sure he'd be able to hear me. "Just…just don't wanna have to let go of you…."

"C'mon, Letty…I got you…" he murmured against my hair, his hands moving to cup my ass, squeezing a bit as I lifted my legs up to wrap around his waist. "I love you…" he whispered in my ear, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

I nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his scent. "Love you too, Dom," I answered, my lips brushing his skin. It was comforting…the feeling of being wrapped in his arms, to feel how much he cared for me.

"C'mon, baby," he whispered, kissing my ear lightly. "Let's go to bed, okay?"

"Yeah…" I murmur against him, already feeling like I'm falling asleep.

"You gonna fall asleep here, in my arms?" he asked, in a whisper. "Gonna wake up naked in my bed tomorrow morning, if you do, baby…."

"Promises, promises…" I sighed, stirring a little. I could see the crowd watching us, over his shoulder. There weren't very many people left at the house, but there were still enough to make me sure that **this** story would make its way around the races too.

"Don't believe me?" He smirked at me a little before continuing. "Go 'head, then…fall asleep on me. See how much you're wearin' when you wake up." He kissed me, softly, his lips just barely brushing mine.

I was having to fight to keep my eyes open, but I was still awake enough to wonder which story would get the most play – Dom an' me nearly fucking each other on our way upstairs earlier, or this…him being so sweet with me.

"Like I'd mind waking up naked next to you," I teased, smirking right back at him. "Admit it, you're just standing around down here **waiting** for me to fall asleep on you…."

He started moving towards the stairs, but stopped again before he got there, shifting my weight in his arms. "Letty…look at me…" he said, his voice low.

Turning to him, I looked at him, kissing him softly. "Yeah…?"

He didn't answer at first, just kissed me back, his tongue teasing mine. "Love you, baby," he finally said, going back to kissing me.

"Yeah…?" I asked, my voice low. His kissing was waking me up, and I was starting to wonder if he really **was** hanging around downstairs on purpose…showing off for everybody again, just in a different way than we'd done earlier.

"C'mon, Letty…let's go to bed…" he said, moving towards the stairs again.

I held him close, my arms wrapped around his shoulders as he walked into our room, kicking the door behind him.

"Lett…the hell happened up here?"


	81. I'm Going to Ask Her

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

It took almost three weeks after I'd decided to do it for me to find time to talk to Lorraine. First I had to rummage through the boxes from my parents' room. That was a little weird…no one's really gone through that stuff much since I went to Lompoc. Then I had to wait until our pick-up at Harry's lined up with Lorraine's early day. I felt like a fucking coward, but I couldn't get up the nerve to let Leon know what I was thinking about. And I'll tell you…just that fact almost convinced me I shouldn't even be thinking about doing this at all. I mean…if I couldn't even come clean to Leon about it, how the fuck did I think I could be enough for her?

The pick up at Harry's hadn't taken nearly as long as I expected, so there I was – nervous as hell, sweltering in my car, waiting for Lorraine to get home from work. I thought about going inside, but I knew better – Leon might fit through that side window, but there was no way in hell I would. Besides, then I'd have to deal with Tabby. Every time I go to Lorraine's, that cat practically attacks me…insists on being petted and shit. I always end up covered in fur. So I stayed in the car, trying to mop up the sweat pouring off my head.

Lorraine finally pulled up at about a quarter after one. I don't think I'd ever been happier to see that woman in my life. I'd lost track of how many times I'd almost convinced myself to give up and leave. But every time I reached toward the ignition I'd remember how I'd felt at all those races, having to act like I was over Letty…that she wasn't important to me. I never wanted us to have to hide again…I wanted everyone to know that she was the most important thing in my life.

I tried to play it cool, tried to swagger up the walk to Lorraine's front door like I'd done a thousand times over the last couple years. But she saw right through me…knew something was up before I even closed the car door. She was just like my mom, that way.

"Dom!' she exclaimed as she embraced me, her face pressing against my chest. And almost immediately, I felt the tension leaving me. Lorraine always did have that effect on me – again, just like my mom.

"Just you today?" she asked, and I just nodded. "Everyone okay?" she continued, leading me to the couch while she went into the kitchen.

Almost immediately, just like I'd known would happen, Tabby was in my lap, head-butting my chest in a demand for affection. That damned cat…I never could resist her.

"Yeah," I replied as I rubbed Tabby's ears. "Everyone's good. I just…uhm…I just wanted to come talk to you 'bout something."

"Ah, I see…" Lorraine nodded, handing me a glass of water before she sad down in the armchair across from me. "I have to say…I wasn't expecting this for a while, Dominic."

"Uhm…yeah," I sighed, dragging my hand across my forehead. "Well…."

I couldn't believe how jittery I felt. It was worse than the first time I kissed Letty, worse than the first time I saw a girl naked, worse than I felt the first time I was lined up at a spray-painted line about to do a quarter-mile.

"I wanted…" I started, rubbing my forehead again. "Uhm…well…I've been thinking, for like a month now…."

"Dom," Lorraine interrupted me, grabbing my hand. "Stop for a second, sweetie. Breathe."

I did what she told me, and with my first deep breath I could feel myself calming down. By the third, I felt like I was ready to do this.

"Lorraine," I started, "I love Letty. I mean, it scares me, how much I love her."

"I know," she replied, smiling at me.

"And I know she's young, but…I can't imagine being without her. So I'm going to ask her. I don't know exactly when, but I'm going to. And I'm not asking for your permission…she'd fuc—uh…she'd kill me if she found out I'd done that. But I felt like…well, I thought I'd talk to you about it first. Get your blessing and all. You're like, the only adult any of us really have left, you know."


	82. Ain't Jailbait Anymore

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe..."

OoOoOoOoOo

I woke up on my eighteenth birthday to the feel of Dom's arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer to him, his dick hard against the back of my thighs. "You want something, Dom?" I teased, shifting my hips back against him.

"Maybe…" he growled, his breath hot against the back of my neck, his lips just barely brushing my skin.

"Yeah?" I laughed, rolling over to face him.

"Mornin' beautiful…" he murmured, looking in my eyes, a hand reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from my face. "Happy birthday."

I sighed, letting myself just enjoy the moment before we would have to get up. My birthday was in the middle of the week, that year…the last week before Christmas vacation. A school day for me and Mia, a work day for everybody else…and as many times as I'd tried to drop hints, Dom hadn't said anything about just staying home, in bed for the day.

"Is that why you woke me? To say happy birthday…? Lucky number eighteen…ain't jail bait anymore," I teased, my hand dropping between us to lightly stroke his dick, over his boxers.

"You wanna…?" he asked, the low gravelly tone of his voice sending shivers down my body.

"You don't usually wake me up when you get up…" I answered, my tone teasing, hand still against him. "Was wonderin' how much longer you were gonna settle for jerking off in the shower in the mornings…."

"Oh you were, huh?" he laughed, his hand lazily stroking my side, teasing its way under my shirt when he reached my waist.

"Yeah…" I murmured, sliding my hand into his boxers, fingertips lightly stroking his dick.

"Thought you'd want your sleep," he groaned, bringing his hand up my shirt to my tit, his thumb flicking across my nipple.

"I'm awake now…" I teased, leaning in to kiss him, my mouth soft against his.

"I love you, Letty," he whispered against my lips. "Wanna wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life."

"Yeah?" I ask, shivers running down my body at his words, settling at my core. "Can't say I'd mind that. You wanna fuck, or you wanna make love to your girl on her birthday?"

"It's your birthday…you got a preference?" he asked

"I want it…hotter than hell," I answered, my voice husky with sleep and desire. "Make love t'me, Dominic."

His only answer was a nod before his mouth dropped to my neck, automatically going to that spot he knows drives me crazy, his hand moving to tug my shirt up and over my head.

"Really gonna make me go to school today?" I asked, knowing that I was practically whining and not caring.

He laughed a little before answering, "Yeah, Lett…you gotta go to school today."

"You suck, Toretto…" I groaned before climbing on top of him, sure I could persuade him to change his mind.

"Oh, that's funny…" he laughed again, his hands stroking my back, fingers tucking into the waistband of my boxers, before continuing. "It's tempting, but you've missed too many days of school already this year.

"It's not nice to get me all worked up and then send me on my way…" I complained, dropping my head against his chest.

"We got a while before you have to start getting ready," he shrugged, "you woke up earlier than normal."

"It's not enough time for me to get laid decently…" I whined.

"It's time for something…" he laughed, and I was tempted to hit him but I was still pretty sure I could talk him into letting me stay home after all.

I slid down his legs, watching his face as I tugged his boxers down and over his hips. He groaned, sitting up a little. I could feel him watching me as I leaned down and lightly kissed the head of his dick, my fingers teasing his inner thighs before slowly dragging my tongue along his length.

I laughed a little, feeling Dom shifting underneath me, his hips lifting even closer to me, before taking him into my mouth, sucking gently as I lowered my mouth around him.

"God, Letty…" he groaned, and I laughed again, my tongue stroking and teasing his length as the head of his dick pushed against the back of my throat. Needing a break, I pulled my mouth almost entirely away from him, just sucking on the head, my tongue teasing.

His hips thrust towards me and I laughed again before lowering my mouth around him, sucking harder.

"I'm close, Letty…" he grunted, and I pulled back completely, replacing my mouth with my hand, wanting to hear him say he'd let me stay home from school before I finished him off. My thumb teased the head of his dick as I stroked his length, leaning down to kiss him.

"You holdin' out or somethin'?" I teased, my lips against his, several minutes later when he still hadn't come and my hand was starting to get tired.

"You want me to come now?" he asked, his tone a little incredulous, which kinda pissed me off. Made it seem like he was complaining about a hand job rather than me letting him come in my mouth. It was my birthday, after all….

"You want me to leave you hard?" I asked in return. "And not get you off?"

"No…" he laughed, the sound so low it was almost a groan, "definitely don't want that…."

"So…is there somethin' else you want, then?" I ask, kissing him again, my tongue teasing his lips.

"You wanna let me inside?" he grunted.

I couldn't help but grin, looking down at him as my hand stilled around his dick. "_Yes!_" I thought to myself, sure he'd give into me now and we'd be spending all day in bed.

"What…now you wanna fuck me?" I asked aloud, teasing.

"Never said I didn't want to fuck you…" he growled, his hands reaching up to stroke my back.

"But I can't get laid on my birthday?" I asked, my tone not quite as teasing.

"Didn't say that either…" he answered, shifting a little underneath me, "just said we ain't got much time right now."

"You said I couldn't stay home today…" I remind him, my eyes narrowing as I sit up, cross-legged, on the bed next to him.

"An' you can't," he answered, his hand running up one of my legs and settling in my lap.

I almost couldn't think straight, I was so pissed off. It's my fucking birthday, and yet…I go down on him, actually consider giving him a quickie, and this is what I get? Being forced to go to school?

"You know what?" I growled, pushing his hand out of my lap and standing up. "You're right. I've got finals this week anyway." It's a lie, but it's all I can think of.

I slammed my way around the room, roughly pulling and shoving at every dresser drawer as I got my clothes out, glaring at him every time I caught sight of him laying there on the bed. I could've sworn I heard him laughing as he got up and went into the bathroom…fucking bastard.

"Happy fucking birthday to me…." I muttered, pulling my boots on and heading out of the room, slamming the door behind me.


	83. You Want a Ride?

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

Letty was still slamming her way around the kitchen when I came downstairs, dressed for work. I stood in the doorway for a minute, watching her, trying not to laugh. A few minutes after she finally sat down at the table with her bowl of cereal, I sat down next to her.

"You want a ride?" I asked hesitantly, a little wary of her reaction, though not wary enough to avoid the double entendre.

"C'mon, Dom…knock it off," she growled back, not even looking up at me, "it's not like I'm gonna be getting laid today any damn way, right?"

"No…?" I asked, having to choke back a laugh. "You're not gonna want any from me tonight? Gonna drive yourself?"

"Have fun jacking off in the shower?" she bit back, ignoring my question.

"Yeah…." I shrugged, smirking at her. "It wasn't bad."

"Yes, I need a ride to school, you jackass," she growled at me, banging her spoon against the bowl as she ate her cereal.

"Gonna be ready soon?" I asked, knowing I was only pissing her off more but not able to help myself. "Gotta lot of cars in the shop this morning."

"I could always get a ride from Miguel, if you're too busy," she sneered at me.

"_Oh shit_…." I thought to myself, worried that I'd done it, pushed her too far. "Nah…I can wait for you."


	84. You Fuckin' Tease!

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

I could almost see the grimace on Dom's face when I slammed the car door shut behind me, but I really didn't give a damn. I was halfway across the parking lot when he grabbed me from behind, pulling me back against his chest.

"Hey…I love you…" he murmured into my ear.

"Yeah, but I still can't get laid on my birthday, huh?" I grumbled, looking up at him. I wasn't going to just give in that easily. "I'm not in the mood for games, Dom."

"Later, okay? Tonight?" he asked, the feel of his mouth against my ear sending shivers down my body.

"You promise…?" I pouted, still horny as hell.

"I promise," he growled, his hand coming to cup my face as his mouth met mine, kissing me hungrily.

"And what am I supposed t'do until then, after you got me all horny and shit?" I asked, purposefully whining a little.

"Think about me?" he smirked, making me want to hit him.

"So I really gotta go all day before I get any?" I groaned, leaning into his chest, knowing he wasn't going to give in…not if he'd taken it this far.

"I'll make it up to you…" he murmured, wrapping his arms around me tighter.

Standing on my tiptoes, I reached up to him, kissing him hungrily, almost desperately. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down closer to me as my tongue pushed its way between his lips. His hands stroked my lower back, making me moan against his mouth.

"Y'gotta go to class, Letty," he reminded me after a few minutes, pulling away.

"Dom, please…." I whined, hating myself a little for sounding so damned needy, arms still wrapped around his neck.

"What?" he asked, his voice quiet as he looked down at me.

"Please don't make me stay," I murmured, my mouth against his neck. "I wanted to spend today with you…."

"You have to stay, Letty," he answered, quickly kissing my cheek. "No getting out of it…sorry…."

"I'm gonna die from horniness," I grumbled, leaning against his chest.

"Don't think it'll kill you, baby," he murmured, his mouth against the top of my head.

"How long after school're you gonna make me wait?" I asked, tempted to sock him in the gut for the laughter in his voice. I was miserable, and he was fucking laughing at me.

I could feel him shrug a little before answering. "We really do have a shitload of cars in the garage today," he sighed, hesitating a minute before continuing, his voice a low growl…exactly the tone that gets me wanting him even more than usual. "I'll be home as soon as I can…maybe we could start in the shower, get me all cleaned up for you…? Unless you want me all sweaty…."

"Hot and sweaty sounds good..." I moaned against his chest.

"Well then," he answered, laughing for real now, "we could just start in bed…start out with giving you a massage. Take my time, make you scream…maybe get a taste of you…."

I groaned against his chest, shuddering slightly, almost clinging to him.

"Yeah…?" he asked, his mouth against the top of my head. "You like the sound of that? Y'might be tired tomorrow…."

"Are you sure you can't just skip out on the shop today?" I moaned, desperate beyond belief. "Let V handle things…maybe call in some of Hector's boys to help him?"

"We'll see, okay?" he answered, "but you gotta get t'class."

"Dammit, Dom," I growled, "I'm not gonna get anything done in class anyway, thinking about what you're gonna do t'me tonight…."

"So don't think about it," he said, shrugging a little.

"Yeah, right…" I groaned, socking him lightly in the gut. "You try being this horny and not thinking about it."

"Got you goin' pretty good, didn't I," he asked, laughing again.

"Please…." I groaned against his ear before kissing him again, even more desperately than before. "I'm going crazy here…call Hector? For me?"

He mumbled something about a birthday present…I didn't really even hear what he'd said, I was so distracted by kissing him.

"What're you talking about?" I finally asked when he kept talking.

"Your present," he shrugged. "Haven't really found anything yet, so…maybe callin' Hector's boys into the shop could be your present?"

"So call him already!" I growled, my heart racing.

"Go t'class already and I will…" he said, laughing. Again, with the laughing at me.

"I go to class and I might not be able to leave," I explained, rolling my eyes. You'd think Dom'd forgotten everything he ever knew about cutting class.

"Uh…" he started, and I felt my heart drop. "You're still stayin' at school, Letty…."

"You fuckin' tease," I growled at him, really having to fight back the urge to knee him in the balls. If he even dared to start laughing again, I was sure I would completely snap.

He didn't answer, just kissed me once, quickly, before turning to head back to the car. "Love you…happy birthday," he called out before sliding into the driver's seat.

"You're gonna be sleepin' on the couch tonight, you keep this up…" I growled, even though I knew he couldn't hear me from inside the car. If there hadn't been a ton of people around, I would've screamed. But all I could do was glare at the car as it pulled away.


	85. So What Do I Do Now?

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

After dropping Letty off at school I headed to the garage. I just needed to finish up a few things…I should've known there was no way things would go like I'd planned.

I'd been at the garage about ten minutes when my phone started beeping, signaling I had a new text. I was laughing when I saw it was from Letty, but I stopped laughing pretty quick after I'd read the damn thing.

"Fuck!" I yelled, my voiced echoing off the concrete floors of the garage, sound bouncing around the small space before dissipating. I could feel the rage building in my stomach, but I couldn't do a damned thing to stop it. "I'm gonna fuckin' kill him…." I growled, stomping towards my car.

"Where the fuck are you goin', man?" Vince called out after me. "You just got here!"

"I'm gonna make sure that little punk stays the fuck away from Letty!" I yelled back at him, barely able to see straight.

"The hell are you talkin' 'bout?" Vince asked, following behind me.

"I'm talkin' about this, Vince!" I yelled, turning and shoving my phone at him, the text Letty'd sent still on the screen.

He laughed…the bastard actually started laughing. And lemme tell ya, it wasn't the first time I wondered why Vincent Morelli was my best friend, and it wasn't the last time either. But when somebody's stuck by you from third grade on, they start thinkin' they can pull shit like that.

"Oh, you think it's funny?" I demanded, glaring at him.

"For fuck's sake…c'mon, brotha…" Vince sighed, still laughing. "You know she wouldn't touch Miguel with a ten-foot pole, let alone suck him off 'cause she's pissed at you…wha'd you do, anyway?"

"Like he ain't been droolin' over her, ever since I got back home?" I asked, getting up in V's face, ready for a fight, and he was the most convenient person to get into it with right that second.

"An' who's she been sleepin' with, Dom?" he asked slowly, only pissin' me off more.

"Me, but…" I growled, "that's not the point, V! She's…" I stopped abruptly, almost started laughing at myself. "She's tryin' t'fuck with me!"

"No shit, Sherlock…" Vince laughed. "An' ma always said you were th'smart one, outta us two…."

Even though I couldn't quite believe what I was doing, I asked Vince for advice. "Great…so what do I do now?"


	86. You Are Mine

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

I heard Dom's car before I saw it, the throaty growl of the engine so much like his own voice growing louder the closer he got to the school. I couldn't help but wince at the squeal of tires, taking the corner into the parking lot too fast. He didn't even stop the car, just left in running at the curb. I crossed my arms, glaring at him as he got out…sure, I knew that text would piss him off, but fuck…he deserved it, if you asked me.

"Get in the fucking car, Letty," he growled, and I almost lost it, I was so pleased with the reaction I got out of him. Finally, he was doing something I expected….

Still, I wasn't about to let him off that easy…no fuckin' way. "Nuh uh…" I answered, rocking back onto my heels, scowling at him.

"Get in the car!" he repeated, biting out each word, almost yelling. Still…I was looking for a specific reaction, and I hadn't gotten it yet.

"No," I said, almost laughing.

"Letty…" I just barely heard Jamie say, her voice coming from behind me. I could feel her eyes on me, her worry almost palpable. But it was like I'd told her when I drug her out here to wait for Dom – I knew how to handle him.

Dom stalked over to me, leaned down, getting right in my face as he growled, "You're a fuckin' piece of work, y'know that, Letty?" Like I was the one that'd started all this shit…

"You're one t'talk, Dominic…" I answered, still almost laughing.

He grabbed my shoulders, squeezing tightly, shaking me a little. "You are mine…" he growled before our mouths met, his teeth scraping against my lips.

"_Finally_…" I thought, attacking his mouth, my tongue pushing between his lips, kissing him desperately.

"Don't pull this Miguel bullshit on me again, huh?" he asked, forehead resting against mine when our lips finally broke apart.

"Got your attention, didn't it…?" I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him down closer to me, almost purring in delight.

"You already had my attention," he growled back at me, arms sliding around my legs, squeezing my ass as he picked me up, crossing the short distance to his car before depositing me on the hood.

"Yeah…?" I asked, not quite able to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "Seemed like you were more interested in work than in me…."

"Just had some shit I needed t'finish gettin' ready for your present," Dom said, his voice quiet. "You ready t'get outta here? Lemme take you home an' make up for this morning?"

"Yeah…" I growled, kissing him hungrily, my tongue pushing between his lips, aggressively exploring his mouth as he pulled me off the hood and deposited me in the passenger seat. I was actually a little breathless, watching him walk around the front of the car. As soon as he got into the driver's seat, I slid over into his lap, needing to touch him again. Luckily, Dom's so tall that I just fit between his chest and the steering wheel.

"You gonna be good?" he asked, laughing as his hands stroked my back.

"You really want me to?" I asked back, smirking at him.

"'d like t'not crash the car on the way home..." he laughed, " but uh...after that...not really..."

I couldn't help but laugh back at him, settling myself in his lap, my head resting against his chest.

Dom just barely got the car stopped in front of the house before his hands were all over me, pushing under my shirt, rubbing my back. "So…whaddya want?" he asked, not even giving me time to answer before his mouth was on mine, nipping and tugging at my lower lip.

"You…" I murmured, taking control of the kiss, my tongue stroking the roof of his mouth.

"Already got me…" he groaned, his hands sliding under my ass and squeezing again as he slid out of the car, my legs immediately wrapping tightly around his waist. I couldn't help but laugh, shortening our kisses, when he started towards the door, stumbling and staggering every few steps. I loved knowing I distracted him that much…. "God, I love you," he grunted, fumbling with the front door for a few moments before getting it open and stumbling into the house, "shirt off."

"Mine or yours…?" I asked, laughing against his mouth, a little surprised when instead of heading to the stairs he walked into the dining room, setting me down on the table. "You hungry or somethin', Dominic…?"


	87. Gonna Make Me Scream?

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Could say that…" I laughed, kissing Letty hungrily as she peeled her shirt off, throwing it across the room. "Goddamn, you're beautiful," I growled, nuzzling the hollow between her tits as I reached behind her back to undo her bra.

"Gonna make me scream, Dominic…?" she asked.

I nodded, moving to her neck, licking and sucking at her skin as I pulled her bra straps down her shoulders and off over her arms.

Letty laughed, arms draping over my shoulders as we kissed, pulling me as close as she could get me.

"Mine…" I murmured, kissing my way from her mouth over to her ear, down the side of her neck, my tongue teasing her skin.

"Always," she moaned, leaning into me.

My mouth moved down her body, stopping to suck at her collarbone, nipping carefully at her skin, my hands stroking her side. I couldn't help but laugh when she moaned, tilting her head to give me more room to work at her neck.

"I love you…" I murmured, hands moving down to cup the sides of her tits, my fingertips just barely brushing her skin. I sucked harder at her neck, drawing her skin into my mouth, between my tongue and my front teeth.

Her back arched, pushing her tits closer to me, her face nuzzling against my neck, teasing one of the spots that drives me completely insane.

"Y'like that, huh?" I mumbled, my fingers slowly moving towards her nipples, my touch still feather-light against her skin.

"God…yeah…" she groaned as her nipples hardened, goose bumps spreading across her tits.

"I like this…" I murmured, my thumbs flicking across her nipples. Finally, I moved my mouth away from her collarbone, moving diagonally across her chest.

"Think you like teasin'…" she groaned.

"Like drivin' you crazy…" I answered, nuzzling the hollow between her tits, pressing them against my face.

"And my breasts…" she laughed, groaning at the same time, her hands cradling the back of my head, holding me to her chest.

"Love these…" I murmured, lifting up a little, rubbing my head against her hands. I licked a trail down the center of her chest, tracing the bottom swell of her tit, my thumb flicking harder at her other nipple. Still moving slowly, my mouth moved further up, latching onto her nipple, drawing it into my mouth as my tongue flicked across it.

I growled as her back arched further into me, sucking harder at her nipple. My hand left her other tit and started travelling down her body, tracing random patterns against her skin as it moved down her rib cage, heading towards the fly of her pants.

"Hmm…?" I growled when Letty started stroking the back of my neck. I knew what she wanted but I wasn't quite willing to move away from her tit yet, my free hand fumbling with the button of her jeans.

"Dom…" she sighed, her voice light and breathy, "I could use some attention up here, baby…."

I bit down lightly on her nipple, tugging at it before pulling away, moving back to her mouth. I kissed her softly at first, my tongue teasing her lips.

Letty growled against my mouth, her arms hooking around my neck as she kissed me hungrily, her tongue pushing into my mouth.

"Y'miss me or somethin'?" I teased, nibbling lightly at her tongue as I pulled down the zipper on her pants.

"Mmmph," she growled, kissing me harder, nipping at my lower lip.

"Was thinkin' 'bout using my mouth down here…" I teased, my hand snaking into her pants, lightly rubbing against her.

She whined, kissing me again, nodding.

"Gonna think about this?" I asked, teasing a little. "Next time we're all eatin' in here? Christmas, maybe?"

"God…" she moaned, throwing her head back.

"'Cause I think…" I started, trailing kisses down her throat, nipping and sucking at her skin, teasing the swell of her tit but avoiding her nipple. "I'm not ever…" I continued as I licked my way down her side, my tongue tracing one of her ribs, "gonna be able to eat at this table again without wantin' to eat you..." my voice lowering to a growl.

My mouth moved down to her navel, teasing her skin, lightly nipping. Slowly, I tugged at her pants, pulling them off her body, throwing them somewhere behind me. Just as slowly, my hands stroked up the inside of her legs, groaning when I get to her heat, lightly stroking her over her thong.

"Dom…" she whimpered, almost begging, and I couldn't keep the smirk off my face.

I dropped into a chair, hands at her knees spreading her legs for me before reaching up and pulling her thong off. I kissed the middle of her inner thigh, quickly, knowing she'd had just about all of my teasing she was gonna put up with that day. I moved my face up, between her legs, breathing in her scent before licking at her wetness.

Letty cried out…not really a full-on scream, but enough that I knew she was really enjoying my tongue on her.

I growled, pushing my face closer to her, my tongue sinking into her, licking and slurping at her juices. I love the way Letty tastes…can never get enough of it. Finally, I started to thrust my tongue into her, my nose just barely nudging against her clit.

"Fuck, Dominic…" Letty groaned, almost screaming. "Don't stop…please, don't stop…."

I laughed, my nose rubbing against her clit, my tongue thrusting as far into her as I could reach. My laughter turned into a growl when I felt her clenching around my tongue. I stopped thrusting, just buried my tongue as far into her as I could get it, lapping up her juices. I brought a hand up to her clit, lightly stroking, trying to draw out her orgasm as long as possible.

After she stopped shaking, I slowly pulled away from her, standing in front of her again, nuzzling her neck. "You wanna get fucked on the table, or d'you wanna move this to th'bed…?" I growled, nipping at her skin.


	88. Are You Trying to Kill Me?

OoOoOoOoOo

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe…."

OoOoOoOoOo

I lifted up onto my elbows, grinning at Dom, satisfied but still wanting more. "You wanna fuck me on the table…?" I asked, licking my lips. Dom was still usually so fucking careful with me, even after two years together…this was a new side of him.

"Yeah… if you want hard and fast," he growled, nipping at my hip, lightly licking afterwards. "Or we can move things upstairs if you want it slow…."

I swear, I was practically purring…Dom's always been able to get that kind of reaction out of me, and not just through fucking. Whenever his attention's focused on me, it's like…I can't even describe it. Like nothing else matters but me and him. Like nothing else even exists. Just us, and everything's fucking perfect.

"Want it hard now and slow later…" I finally answered, smirking at him as he leaned down to kiss me, my arms wrapping around his neck.

"You wanna help me out with these pants, then?" he asked, pulling me up into a sitting position.

I just groaned against his mouth, still kissing him as I reached for his fly, undoing his pants without even looking. Finally, his pants and boxers were down around his ankles and my fingers were teasing his dick, wandering over the head, stroking the underside.

"Over…" he grunted, gently pushing me to the position he wanted me in, face down on the table, my legs hanging over the edge. I could feel his dick, hard and hot, against my inner thighs before it was rubbing against my heat, sliding through the slick folds of my pussy, bumping against my clit.

"Please…" I groaned, trying to push myself closer to him, "please don't tease me anymore, Dom…."

The next thing I knew, I was being filled by his dick, his chest pressed against my back, lips sucking at my shoulder. He didn't give me any time to adjust at all, just started pounding away, hard and fast. My back arched almost involuntarily, searching for just a little more…. I started moaning, low in my throat, when his arm hooked around my leg, his fingers finding my clit and slowly, softly stroking. I squirmed, my whole body inflamed, desperate for release again, getting louder and louder. "Dominic…" I panted, my voice raw, "so fucking good…don't stop…please don't stop…."

His only answer was his teeth, lightly biting into the meat of my shoulder, his dick slamming into me harder, rubbing my hips against the edge of the table so hard I had bruises for a week, his fingers moving faster against my clit. I was reduced to one single desire, and then it was being met, my entire body tightening and shaking as I screamed through my release. I collapsed onto the table, panting, but he wasn't done. Sometimes I think Dom likes to make a game out of seeing how many times he can make me come before he goes…like I'm a video game that keeps track of highest scores or something.

Dom growled against my neck, his breath hot against my skin, and then he was gone, the chill of the air conditioner sending chills down my back. His hands moved to my hips, and I was pulled just a little further off the table, hands scrabbling for something to help keep my balance, finally giving up, trusting that Dom wouldn't let me fall on the floor on my face. The quick, rhythmic sound of his balls slapping against my clit, the feel of him stroking into me, was enough to push me towards release again. My body trembled as I cursed under my breath, and I swore I could hear him laughing behind me. Yeah, like I said…fucker's real damned proud of himself every time he makes me come. Not that I'm complaining, not even close. I know I'm damned lucky that the man I'm in love with knows how to work my body so well.

Finally, I started hearing him grunting, the only signal I ever get that Dom's on the verge of release. I always tell him it's no fair…he makes me scream and I can barely tell when he gets off, he's so fucking quiet. He pushed further into me, his dick felt even bigger, harder, and then I was filled with warmth. I sighed, perfectly content, until I felt him starting to pull out. I looked back over my shoulder at him, ready to complain – I wasn't nearly ready to feel him leaving my body yet.

Next thing I knew, though, I was on my back and being filled again as Dom leaned over me, kissing me softly, teasing my lips with his tongue. "I love you, Lett…" he mumbled, and I opened my mouth to him, deepening the kiss. My arms and legs wrapped around Dom, holding myself as close as possible to him even though my muscles quickly started screaming in protest.

"What…you want more already?" Dom asked, laughing, his hands stroking my thighs, hoisting me up into a sitting position.

"Maybe gimme a few minutes," I laughed, a little breathless, still reveling in the pleasure of the orgasms he'd given me. "You going for a record or something…?"

He shrugged, leaning in and nuzzling at my neck. "Figure an eighteenth birthday means eighteen orgasms, right…?"

"Are you trying to kill me, man?" I asked, laughing in delight, my body already starting to tingle again.


	89. Worst Idea Ever

After my birthday, shit settled down, and life… life was pretty fucking incredible. Well, except for school, but I only had to get through a few more months of _that_ bullshit. I more or less moved in with Dom and Mia pretty damned quick, even though I still kept most of my shit at Leon's – I dunno, it just seemed easier that way. Plus he and Amber were still doing their on-and-off merry-go-round shit, and lemme tell you, they got loud sometimes. I didn't wanna be hearing that! I mean, it's one thing when it's **me** being loud, and it's another when the boys are watching _Spice_ or something, but shit… I don't need to be involved in my cousin's sex life, even if it was just listening, thank you very much. Besides, why be at home listening to them when I could be at the fort getting some action of my own?

And shit, maybe I was hedging my bets, too…keeping some sort of back-up just in case. Christ, even after all these years I've got those same insecurities, even though I know they make me pretty fucking pathetic. But yeah…life with Dom was good. It was my friends that were driving me crazy, and it all started when Jamie decided the way to get Vince more interested in her was to give it up to him.

"Somebody's in love…" Amber teased, leaning over and nudging Mia as Joey walked away from the table after bringing our food. Yeah, another Saturday afternoon, another girls-only meal at Jerry's. And Mia'd moved up in the world – it wasn't just a crush she had on Joey anymore, they'd actually gone out on a few dates.

"I am not!" Mia retorted, blushing. "He's just…_sweet_…"

"Just don't tell Dom…" I laughed, rolling my eyes as I grabbed a fry an' popped it into my mouth. "He'll be down here threatening to break Joey's neck if Mia gets hurt…."

Amber just grinned, shaking her head. "Nah, I won't tell Dom…as long as you give us all the dirt!" She laughed, pointing a cheese stick at Mia before popping it into her mouth, groaning loudly.

I could almost feel Jamie rolling her eyes in the seat next to me. She was still crushing on Vince for some reason, even though I kept trying to push her towards Miguel to take his mind off of **me**. It wasn't like they were a couple or anything…. Christ, I can't remember Vince **ever** being part of a couple. But they got along pretty good, and lately Jamie'd been dropping hints about how she should give it up to him.

"What makes you think there's any dirt to share?" Mia asked, her cheeks flushing even pinker.

"Yeah, I don't think Dom would let that buster anywhere _**near**_ Mia's room," I teased, laughing. She just makes it too fuckin' easy sometimes!

"Letty!" Mia retorted, glaring at me a little…as much as she ever glared at anybody, I guess. "You're not helping!"

"You're all fucking ridiculous…" Jamie muttered, so low I could barely even hear her.

"Shit, Jamie…what'd that fry ever do to you?" Amber laughed, gesturing to the shredded pile on Jamie's plate. Then she turned back to Mia, trying to get some more information out of her. "C'mon… how far have you let him get?"

"Just because you and Leon can't figure your shit out doesn't mean I'm gonna let you live vicariously through me!" Mia retorted.

"You're such a fucking hypocrite…" Jamie said, her voice louder now as she gestured towards Amber. Swear, everybody's eyebrows raised in shock. Sure, Jamie was definitely part of the group, and she could pretty much hold her own with us by now, but she was still the new girl, the one who didn't quite fit in, with her two-parent, upper-middle class family. We all just sat there, waiting for her to keep going. "You keep trying to spread Mia's legs **for** her, but then it's like me wanting to be with Vince is the worst idea ever!"

"It **is** the worst idea ever!" Amber retorted, and I swear, I knew the look on her face…the same one as when she and Leon got into arguing over music, the kind where she's arguing her point and not really mad about it yet but getting there.

"Vince is… **Vince**…" I said, shrugging, trying to play it off, to explain why nobody was pushing Jamie at him anymore since me and Dom didn't have to hide our relationship. "You know how many skanks I've seen him with over the years? We're just trying to make sure you don't get hurt by him being an ass, which he'll undoubtedly be. And besides," I shrugged again, "it's different for you."

"What is that even supposed to **mean**, it's **different** for me?" Jamie retorted, getting even louder.

"It means you ain't never had to worry where your next meal was coming from and what you were gonna hafta do to get it, where you were gonna sleep at night…" Amber said, her voice rising right along with Jamie's. Christ, people were definitely staring at us.I almost thought we were gonna get kicked out, and then I'd have to kick **both** their asses 'cause I hadn't finished eating yet!

"What, and **Mia** has?" Jamie asked, glaring back at Amber. "What am I supposed to do, **apologize** for my family? It's not like I got to choose them or anything!"

"I grew up in Echo Park!" Mia practically shouted, and I just rolled my eyes. You **know** when Mia's getting heated everything's about to go to shit. "I lost **both** my parents, my brother was in **jail**!"

"So anybody who wasn't born and raised in Echo-fucking-Park has to stay a virgin until they're eighty?" Jamie shouted, and shit…. She actually got up and stalked out of the restaurant, leaving me and Amber and Mia just kinda looking at each other, wondering what the fuck just went down.


	90. He Just Knows

I walked into the house and flopped down onto the couch next to Dom, leaning against him without even saying anything. He didn't ask, either, just wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. It still amazes me, how he just knows….

It'd been almost a week since Jamie stormed outta Jerry's, and I hadn't really talked to her since then. I **tried**, but I didn't know what to say to her, and she wasn't exactly anxious to talk to me.

It was just all fucked up. What was I supposed to tell her? That Vince would be the perfect guy to pop her cherry? I wasn't gonna **lie** to her….

'Course, there prolly weren't too many people who would have told me Dom was the perfect guy for me to give it up to, either, at least not if I was looking for more than one night…. Christ, all the bitches he used to fuck…. One time I walked in on him and Tina Rodriguez, and lemme tell you, it didn't do anything to get rid of the crush I had on him. Guess I've still got a crush on him, kinda. Still get that giddy feeling in my gut when I see him – most of the time, at least. Guess that's a good sign.

I rested my head against Dom's chest, just breathing in his scent, trying to relax. Mia thinks it's gross, but I love the smell of his sweat. Pheromones, according to my Bio teacher, Ms. Fletcher.

I couldn't even tell you exactly what he smells like, just that it makes me feel…safe, I guess. I know I can take care of myself, but when Dom holds me I feel like I don't have to worry 'bout that kind'a shit, and I like it. Not that I'd ever admit that to anybody, 'cept maybe him. I can see it now, all the shit the guys would try to give me over that…..

"Why don't we go to bed…" he suggested, not even really giving me a chance to answer before he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me up the stairs like I was a little kid or something.


	91. Fragile

Ch. 90

She felt small in my arms. Fragile, unlike herself. I knew all this drama with Jamie was beating her down, but I hadn't realized just how much until that moment. I know Letty can take care of herself – she's always the first to insist on that. But at that moment, all I wanted was to do it for her.

"I love you," I murmured as I pushed into our room, setting her down on the bed before going back to lock the door. She gave me a tired smile, nodded, but didn't say anything. I didn't really expect her to or anything…it's pretty rare for us to both say the words at the same time. Actually, it's rare for us to say the words at all. I always felt like if you said shit like that too much, it didn't really mean anything. And who really gives a fuck what you say, anyway? Lying's too easy.

I didn't say anything else as I came back to the bed. Just kneeled at her feet, and started undoing the laces of her boots. Took a few minutes, but I finally got them off, tossed them towards the closet. Climbing to my feet, I leaned over her, undoing her pants. She lifted her hips automatically, without any prompting, as I tugged the pants down her body and sent them after the shoes.

My shoes followed soon after, and then I was sitting next to her again. I grabbed the bottom of her sweatshirt – one of my old one she must've dug out of the very back of the closet – and gently pulled it up over her head. That's when I could tell how much she needed this, when she didn't protest at all. Usually she fights hard against being babied.

"Lay down," I told her, easing her down onto the bed and then gently rolling her onto her stomach. I kicked my own shoes off and stripped down to my boxers before going to light a few candles on the dresser, grabbing a bottle of baby oil, and then flicking the lights off – the last few things that needed doing before I could just totally focus on her.

I straddled her ass, laughing when she pressed back against me, rubbing against my crotch. "Later," I murmured, pushing her hair out of the way before softly kissing the back of her neck, "if you don't fall asleep on me."

After pouring some baby oil into my hands, getting it warmed up, I started kneading her shoulders, working the tension out of them. Slowly, my hands slid over her skin and I couldn't help grinning to myself when she started moaning softly. It's so fucking rare for her to let me take my time, as much time as I want…. My hands moved further down her body, one on either side of her spine, rubbing large circles into her skin. After a while, I couldn't really tell if she was awake or not. She'd gone into that deep, even breathing pattern she gets when she's completely knocked out. But then, finally, my hands reached her ass.

"You want more?" I asked quietly, lightly kneading her skin, my hands moving towards her thighs. She didn't say anything, just lifted up onto her knees, giving me better access. "Take that as a yes," I mumbled, laughing low in my throat, my fingers tracing her pussy lips. "Roll over, wanna look at you."

Once she was on her back again, I moved over her, my tongue easily sliding into her mouth as we kissed. I could feel the heat building between us, but I kept everything light and easy until she started pushing against my shoulders, trying to get me to move.

After her birthday, I knew better than to make her wait too long. So I started sliding down her body, nuzzling her throat, her collarbone, her shoulder. Not making her wait isn't the same as taking things slow, after all. Every time my lips touched down on her skin, though, I could hear her grunt in frustration.

Eventually, my mouth found her tit. I started softly suckling, holding her nipple between my teeth as my tongue flicked across it, giving it the same treatment I planned for her clit later. She started squirming underneath me and I laughed, low in my throat. Couldn't help it, even if it **did** risk pissing her off. Felt that damned good, knowing I was getting her going like that. Her hand came up, fingers started stroking my scalp, and my laugh turned to a groan. Seems like she's always just known how to touch me….

Before I started pressing my luck too hard, I slid further down her body, tracing the line of one rib with my tongue, my mouth skimming across her hip. Finally, I got to my destination, but I didn't rush even then. Instead, I just lay there for a few moments, my face against her pussy as I breathed her scent. Swear, there's nothing quite like it in the world.

"Dominic…" she growled in warning, and I got started moving, my tongue driving into her. Her hips bucked, and I laid one arm over her stomach, holding her down. Didn't want to end up with a broken nose, after all. Starting at her taint, I licked the length of her slit, all the way up to her clit, stopping there for a few moments before starting all over again, slow and steady.

"Don't you fucking dare stop," is all I heard before her legs locked around my neck in some kind of death hold, hips pushing towards me again. I laughed, not letting up but not speeding up either, every sweep of my tongue setting her squirming more.


	92. Feel Better?

"Don't you fucking dare stop," I told him, draping my legs over his shoulders, locking my ankles. He didn't, just kept that same pace, steadily licking at my clit as his fingers thrust into me. It was annoying and hot as hell all at the same time, got me even more turned on than I'd been when he started. I felt it building way before it crashed over me, my entire body tightening, fighting for release. And just when I thought there was no way I could possibly take any more of this torment, it happened. I bit my lower lip, fighting the urge to scream as he eased me through one orgasm and then another. Last thing we needed was Mia coming in to check on us….

"I think… now," I finally mumbled, breathless, laughing a little. "Now you can stop…."

"You sure?" he asked, sliding out from between my legs.

I nodded, licking my lips as I watched him climb off the bed, push his boxers down and off. My breath actually caught in my throat as I looked him over, my whole body flushing as my guts flipped and flopped. I'd have been embarrassed, if it was anybody but him seeing me like that.

"Just how relaxed are you?" he asked, his voice low as he smirked at me.

"How many times I gotta tell you, man?" I answered, laughing slightly. "Your dick ain't coming nowhere near my ass!"

"Why do you keep thinking every guy wants that?" he asked, shaking his head as he went into the bathroom, grabbed a rubber out of the top drawer before getting me a glass of water. "Just seeing if you're gonna fall asleep on me…."

"Like that'd stop you?" I laughed again, louder, nodding towards his crotch when he came back into the bedroom. "Like anybody **could** fall asleep with that thing in action?"

He just laughed, handing me the glass before ripping open the little foil package, rolling the rubber down onto his dick. My eyes were glued to him as I gulped the water down. Started squirming, just the thought of him being inside of me getting me going again. Being with him, like that…it was him and me, everything else just didn't matter.

And then he was there, leaning over me again, our bodies not quite touching. His tongue pushed its way between my lips, teasing, and tasting myself on him just made everything more intense until I didn't think I'd be able to handle it all. "Don't make me beg for it," I whimpered when his mouth left mine, moving to my throat, his teeth lightly scraping my skin. "Please, Dom…."

"Since you said _please_," he growled, shifting us so he was between my legs and I could feel his length against my thigh.

I grunted, trying to press myself closer, and just like that he was sliding into me, filling me completely. I actually whined when he didn't start moving right away, like some kind of spoiled brat or something. I knew Dom spoiled me, even though there probably wasn't a person in the world outside the team who would've believed it. Ain't like we ever acted all mushy and shit around other people…saved that kind of shit for the two of us, for private. And hell, I'm probably the only chick on the planet who'd get gushy over my man saving the interesting jobs at the garage for me, topping off the NOS in my Silvia so I didn't have to do it, checking my shit out before a race….

I whined again and finally he leaned in, kissing me softly as he began thrusting into me. My hips rocked to meet his, desperate for more. Our kisses became hungry and heated, but he didn't speed his pace at all, just kept sliding in and out as my legs tightened around his waist, my heels digging into his ass.

"Fuck…." I growled, rocking underneath him, trying to follow the pace he set, not to rush ahead of him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him as his arms slid underneath mine. And all of a sudden, there he was, deeper inside me, stretching me to the limits. His lips brushed my throat and I couldn't keep myself from shuddering, my whole body seeking more.

"Touch yourself," he grunted as he started pounding into me, and then his lips were crushed against mine again, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth. Our tongues battled as though we were each trying to prove something, and I shoved my hand between us, pressing hard against my clit, rubbing myself furiously for him until it was too much, my whole body tight, screaming for release.

I could tell when he went, not too long after me, even though he barely has any tell. Didn't even complain when he collapsed on top of me, relishing the feel of his body covering mine even though it made breathing a little difficult. Before too long, though, he rolled us over, cradling me to his chest.

"Feel better?" he asked, one hand stroking my hair, moving down over my back, soothing.

"Yeah," I answered, a little surprised, laughing, only to interrupt myself with a huge ass yawn. "Yeah, I do…."


	93. Try That Shit Aagain

It was a few weeks later when the shit hit the fan again.

Middle of a Saturday afternoon, and we were all still recovering from the after-party the night before. Well, Mia'd already got through half the cleaning, complaining 'bout it all the whole time, and V hadn't come up from his room in the basement yet, but the rest of us were sprawled around the den, watching some stupid vampire movie we'd all seen 'bout a dozen times before. I was more focused on Letty than on the movie, really, tugging at this piece of hair hanging out of her ponytail.

"I'ma beat your ass if you try that shit again, Toretto," she warned, glaring at me.

"Like to see you try," I answered, laughing. Honestly would've welcomed a wrestling match, even knowing she could actually hurt me if she really tried.

Eventually we both settled down, her laying down with her head in my lap. And even though I was still messing with her hair she wasn't bitching 'bout it no more.

Right when the vamp goes in to bite the chick we heard Vince starting to clomp his way up the stairs. Letty lifted her head, ready to rag him 'bout how wasted he'd already been when we went upstairs, but I didn't bother looking over till I felt her go stiff.

We locked eyes for 'bout half a second or so, and then Jamie was gone, out the back door without a word to any of us, like any other chick doing the walk of shame outta the basement. Barely five seconds later, Letty was gone too, following after her.

"Gonna be a long fucking day…" I muttered, shaking my head as I grabbed my beer.


	94. Last Night Wasn't the First

I didn't say anything at first, just followed Jamie for blocks, trying to figure out what the hell she was doing. I barely even noticed that she'd stopped in front of me until I ran right into her.

"Why don't you tell me how stupid you think I am so we can just get all of this over with…?" she asked, and I could almost hear the frustration in her voice.

"Why?" I asked back, instead of answering, and it was probably a million questions all rolled into one. Pretty sure I wasn't even expecting an answer, so I was pretty surprised when she turned to face me full-on, pushed her hair out of her face and just stared me down.

"How come none of you believe that Vince could really be interested in me?" she asked, her voice rising slightly with each word. "Do you really think I'm that hideous?"

"It's not like that," I said, crossing my arms over my chest as I tried to explain. "It's not you, it's him! He's just…."

"Wasn't Dom the exact same way, before he went to prison?" she asked, staring me down. All I could do was shrug, because shit, she wasn't wrong….

"How many times am I gonna have to prove myself to you guys?" she continued, shaking her head as she looked away. "I mean, I know I didn't grow up here, I'm the outsider, but shit! You act like I'm a little kid!"

"It's not like that!" I said again, even though I knew how lame it sounded. "It's just…. Vince? **Really**?"

"Shit, yes, **really!**" she practically shouted at me before turning and walking down the street again. All I could do was stare for a few minutes before jogging after her.

"Hey, Jamie!" I called out, hoping she'd stop but not really convinced it would happen. Somehow, though, the girl always did manage to surprise me…. "Lemme explain…" I said when she stopped in front of me again, and maybe for the first time in my life, I actually stood there and thought about what I was going to say before it came out of my mouth.

"I guess it's just…. V's different…" I started, trying to explain. "I mean, yeah, he's a good guy and all, but ever since Jenny he hasn't been the same…. I just don't want him to be an ass to you, and then have it be all awkward and shit…."

"Oh, but it's perfectly fine for it to be _all awkward and shit_ because of **you** being an ass?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "That really makes a lot of sense, Letty…."

"Hope you aren't expecting him to call tomorrow, that's all I'm saying…" I bit out, getting frustrated, starting to lose my temper.

"Oh yeah?" Jamie asked, actually laughing at me, which only got me going more. "Well, just so you know, last night wasn't the first one I've spent in that basement, so there goes that theory…."

"Christ, why'd I even bother…?" I asked, more to myself than to her, clenching my fists.

"How many times am I gonna have to prove myself to you?" she asked, just about shouting. "You don't have to protect me, alright?"

"If you're so fucking happy with V, how come you're sneaking outta the basement?" I asked, feeling myself getting closer and closer to losing it.

"Because every time I talk about what I want you all call me a slut!" she retorted, taking off down the street again. This time, I just stood there and watched her go. And for some reason, I couldn't help wondering if maybe she was right, if it **was** me being the ass.


	95. You're Really Bad At This

I let out a long sigh when Jamie came into shop class and sat down at our table. Christ. It'd been three weeks since we all saw her coming out of the basement after doing Vince, three weeks of nothing but awkward every time I saw either one of them. Vince wasn't talking about it, which was weird all by itself.

Usually he didn't have any problems bragging about the chicks he managed to talk downstairs. But with Jamie he wouldn't say anything except for asking why I cared so much about his sex life. And I **tried** talking to Jamie, I really did, but…. Well, shit, I probably could have tried harder. It was just that every time I tried to say something I just froze, the words wouldn't come out, like I'd gone mute or forgotten how to speak English.

I kept trying to tell myself that it didn't matter, the fuck did I care if Jamie was pissed at me, never talked to me again? But somehow, it did. And it'd gotten to the point where this shit was ruining my favorite class, the only one I actually looked forward to. Lemme tell you, it pissed me off, her having that kind of effect on me. I never worried about being popular, or even having friends outside of the team. I took care of myself, always had. It bugged the shit outta me, not being able to just let her go. What did I need with some rich white girl prissy friend, anyway? But somehow, I couldn't just drop her.

So I shook my head, trying not to laugh at her trying to figure out the engine schematic we were supposed to be working on, and moved closer. "I dunno if Vince mentioned it…" I said, shrugging slightly, not really looking at her, "but there's a race Friday, a pretty big one…."

Christ, and of course she didn't say anything, didn't take my awkward attempt at making up and just accept it. No, instead she just turned and stared at me like I'd grown an extra head or something, and even though I wasn't really looking at her I could **tell** she was doing it, looking at me like that.

"So, uh…" I stammered, feeling like a complete idiot and halfway hating myself for it, "you could come, if you want? I mean, if things are still cool with you two…."

"We're fine," she said, shaking her head slightly, like it was completely obvious what an idiot I was being. "And yeah, he told me about the race."

"Oh," I said, feeling like even more of an idiot. "Well, there's probably gonna be a party at the house, after…. I mean, if you wanna come to that, it'd be cool…."

"You're not any good at this, you know?" Jamie said, laughing as she shook her head again. "I mean, **really**…."

"I know," I groan, slouching down further, like I was trying to disappear or something. "I just, I'll try not to say shit about V…."

"Five bucks that won't last a week," she scoffed, grinning at me. "But yeah, I'll go to the race with you guys, and the after-party too."

"Alright, then," I said, and I couldn't help grinning back at her.


	96. All Pumped Up

"You ready?" Dom asked, poking his head into the bathroom.

"Yeah," I nodded, flipping him the bird when he started laughing. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shrugging, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "I just…. dunno, I like seeing you like this, all pumped up and shit."

I was finally going to get to race again, and my guts had been tumbling inside of me all damned day. It wasn't like I was nervous about the competition – yeah, I knew people still talked shit about me being just another one of Dom's racer chasers, but shit, I knew I was more than that, **we **were more than that, and everybody on the team knew it too. I was ready to **go** already, ready for the adrenaline bouncing around inside me to be put to use.

It didn't let up at all as I headed down the stairs, followed Dom out the front door and slid into my car. My fingers drummed against the steering wheel as I waited for everybody to pull out into the street, keeping time to the music blasting through my speakers. And then we were at the meet-up spot, somehow – I'd been so focused I barely even noticed the drive going by.

We pulled up in our usual formation, and I swear, I had to roll my eyes when Dom got out of his car in front of me. Every goddamned time, the skanks had to swarm him like he was a slab of fresh meat. Of course, they all backed off pretty quick when I walked up behind him, and the feel of his arm settling over my shoulders calmed me down pretty quick. But shit, we'd just barely gotten through the last round of bullshit, it seemed like, and here they all were, trying to stir up more. Fucking exhausting, if you let it get to you. Luckily, I was getting better and better at just ignoring the bitches.

And for a change, tonight it wasn't just Dom people were staring at. I could feel all the eyes on me, too, everybody wondering if I could really hold it down on the streets or if I was finally going to fall on my face. Shit, no matter how many times I crossed the line first it seemed like it was always like that, everybody thinking I was just arm candy for Dom. I couldn't wait to see the looks on all those motherfuckers' faces when I smoked them.

Shit, if I had a buck for every time some jackass thought I couldn't measure up just because I'm a girl…. Well, Mia wouldn't have to worry about money for college, that's for damned sure. It was bad enough when it was just Dom and Vince giving me shit every time I turned around, telling me I was too little to work on cars and that chicks weren't supposed to be into that shit anyway. Lucky for me, Tony was always right there willing to teach me what I wanted to know.

My brain was going so fast, working through all the possible scenarios, everything that could happen during that quarter mile, I could barely focus on the negotiations, kept losing track of the numbers Hector was throwing around. And then we were headed back to ours cars, ready to get down to business. I jumped a little, feeling somebody grab onto my belt, pull me back towards them, and the adrenaline in me jumped even higher. Swear, Dom was lucky I didn't deck him for that.

He didn't even leave me time to bitch at him for sneaking up on me, just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in closer before kissing me quick and hard. It was exactly what I needed, got me to that place where everything goes quiet inside and there's just me and the car and the feeling that I could do anything, absolutely anything I wanted.


	97. Wasn't Nearly Over Yet

It felt like forever that we were sitting there at the line, long enough to get me jumpy again at least. I wasn't looking to get picked up by the cops or anything, but sometimes it seemed like Leon waited a lot longer for them to be sidetracked than he needed to.

After I finally got sick of just sitting there feeling my guts flop around, I turned up the music, took a few deep breaths, and gave myself one last mental run-through of what I was going to need to do. As long as I didn't fuck anything up, this race was mine. The other guys weren't running anything spectacular under their hoods, and we all knew it. My Silvia wasn't all that tricked out either, but I'd put in enough wrench time to know every inch of her. Plus I had the benefit of learning from Tony, so it wasn't really a fair competition to begin with.

Eventually I settled down into it, just on the edge of impatience, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. And then, just when I thought I couldn't stand waiting anymore, the chick moved out between my car and the next one, grinning at everyone like she was doing something special.

"Christ, could your ass be hanging out of that skirt **any** more…?" I bit out, shaking my head. I don't know why, but I was always surprised by just how skanky most of the other chicks at the races were.

I shook my head and focused on the race, my adrenaline jumping again as soon as the chick dropped the flag, my car jumping forward as my foot slammed on the gas. My car fishtailed a little, and I shook my head again, making a mental note to check my tires the next time we were in the garage.

I never liked to jump to the front right at the start of any race. It was better to hang back, see what the other guys were gonna do. Plus, there wasn't really anything better than blowing past somebody who's just decided that you really are just a stupid chick who thinks she can race. Nothing better outside of the bedroom, anyway.

So I laid off at first, staying just close enough to the rest of the pack to keep myself in it, letting them all fight for position. And then, just when they'd all probably counted me out, that's when I laid on the gas again, started moving up.

I passed one car, an orange Civic driven by somebody from Hector's crew, one of the younger ones that I didn't know. One last shift into a higher gear, and that was all it took. The third car, a dark green Camaro, flew by in a rush, and I couldn't help laughing. "See ya!" I crowed to myself, a grin spreading across my face as I crossed the finish line a good length, length and a half ahead of them.

I took my time after that, getting turned around and heading back to the crowd, wanting to savor every second of victory. It didn't hurt any to let my car cool down some, either, before she'd just be sitting there for who knows how long, waiting for everything to wrap up. Sure, some nights the cops showed up and we'd have to pack it in early, but other times we'd just be out there on the streets for hours, socializing with everybody before we headed back to the fort for the after-party.

Finally I got out of my car, grinning at everyone standing around me. It was different, though, from when Dom or one of the guys would race. Not nearly as many people were crowding around me, for one thing. Of course, none of the skanks were there trying to get a piece of me, but none of the guys came too close either. Either it was just too much of a ball-buster, losing to a chick, or Dom was too intimidating, I didn't know which. I guessed it didn't really matter too much, though. The important people were there – Mia to take the money, Vince to give me a high five, Leon to do his little victory dance in the background as Dom lifted me off my feet. It was a perfect night, and it wasn't nearly over yet.


	98. Watch the Paint Job

For once the cops didn't show up to break everything up and we all just hung out for a while, bullshitting with the other crews, checking out cars as Jesse and Leon tried to do some detective work to see what we might be up against at Race Wars.

"Hey, that wasn't a bad ride…" I heard someone say as they came up behind me.

"Not bad?" I echoed, eyebrows raising as I bumped fists with Hector. "Shit, your boy was two lengths behind me, the whole way…."

"Ah, _pues_, the kid's new on the scene, he doesn't know better yet," he laughed shrugging a little. "Looked like you added some power under the hood?"

"Hey, trade secrets, _ese_…" I laughed, shaking my head. Hector was always cool with us, but shit, I wasn't about to go telling the competition everything there was to know about my ride.

And to tell the truth, she was running a little slower than usual that night, NOS tanks not even topped off all the way. Lucky for me I hadn't had to use any; it seemed like that shit was getting more and more expensive every day. Dom and Leon had connections, of course, running the garage and all, but…. Connections only go so far. Besides, I never liked feeling like I was taking advantage even though I knew Dom didn't see it that way. Luckily I'd just won enough cash that I'd be able to contribute to the money pot, pull more of my weight in taking care of all the bills.

Hector drifted away through the crowd, leaving me to run over the race again in my mind. Even though I had won, I still thought of a couple places I could have done better, shaved some more time off my quarter mile. I couldn't afford to get cocky, not when I knew I was still only racing against LA's third or fourth tier. Sure, we had the biggest scene in southern California, but I knew people would be coming from all over for Race Wars. I wanted to make an impression that summer, show the boys that they weren't the only ones who could hold it down out there on the track.

"Hey, papa," I laughed, coming out of my thoughts as I felt thick arms wrap around my waist from behind.

"Thought I told you not to call me that…" he growled, his voice low and rough.

I only laughed louder as I leaned back against him, my head easily resting against his shoulder. It'd started out just as a tease, a way to make fun of him always insisting he felt like an old man around me. Somehow, though, it stuck.

"Looked good out there," he continued after a minute, his lips brushing my cheek as he leaned in close. "Overcorrected a little 'round the first eighth, though?"

"Yeah, I felt it," I said, nodding. "Felt like she was bottoming out on me for a second, but then she came back strong."

"We'll look her over," he said, shrugging against me.

I just nodded again, relaxing against him without saying a word. "This is the life," I thought to myself, looking over the crowd of people still milling around the street. Nobody wanted to leave, it seemed like, even though the cops would probably show up any second. It was exactly where I wanted to be, if I wasn't at the house or in the garage, I definitely knew that. I'd be happy anywhere, really, as long as Dom was there with me, getting my back and trusting me to get his, but there was just something about the races, nothing but tricked out cars everywhere you looked.

Everybody from the team was close – within shouting distance – in case anything came up, I guess, even though we could all handle ourselves pretty well. There was still always the chance that Tran could break the truce, even though we hadn't heard from him in a while. It made me more nervous, actually; I didn't trust that motherfucker to stay away.

I couldn't help laughing when a group of guys came up to us, all crowding around Dom. Shit, you'd think he was the one that had won tonight, not me. Guys are stupid like that, sometimes. Luckily I was in such a good mood it didn't cost me anything to ignore them, to just get away before I got totally pissed. I was still laughing as I slid out of Dom's arms and walked away, heading towards my car.

"Hey, watch the paint," I laughed, grinning at Amber and Mia, flipping the bird right back at Amber when she turned it on me. "Unless you're gonna put in the hours to fix my paint job…."

"Like I didn't spend hours on it the first time around," Mia laughed, still leaning against the hood. "Besides, I know you and Dom have done worse to it."

"Ugh, I don't want to think about that!" Amber laughed, shaking her head as she moved a little away.

I caught sight of Vince and Jamie out of the corner of my eye, standing next to his car, and I had to turn a little, so I could keep an eye on them. Of course there wasn't a chance in hell I would have admitted that was what I was doing, not even to Mia or Amber.

"Vince isn't that bad, really," Mia said, and I shook my head, trying to focus on the conversation going on right in front of me instead of the one I could only imagine on the other side of the street. "It's just weird, thinking of him being with one of our friends."

"We wanted them to get together in the first place, remember?" Amber said, the tone of her voice echoing comments Leon had been making for weeks. He had never said anything about it directly to me, but kind of around me, if that made any sense. "So Vince would stop bringing so many skanks around the house."

I didn't say anything, just gestured for Jamie to come across the street to where the three of us were. I wasn't sure if she'd take me up on it or not, at first. I hadn't really been a good friend to her lately; that was for damned sure. I couldn't help pulling a face when she kissed Vince, but I couldn't keep the grin off my face when she walked over to us either.

"So you and Vince, huh?" I asked, busting out laughing when she started to blush.


	99. Trophy's Mine Now

I followed Dom through the streets, the two of us making a game out of the drive back to the fort, weaving in and out of traffic. It wasn't like we were racing – traffic was way too heavy for that. At least, it was until we pulled up to the last light before the railroad tracks.

Quarter mile straight shot, winner take all, that's how it always went when Dom and I raced. Sure, we didn't go after each other officially, at any of the races, but that didn't keep us from blowing up the streets around the fort every chance we got. And with the whole weekend stretched out in front of us…. Well shit, it was too tempting to even think about passing up. I couldn't help laughing when I looked over at him, eyebrows raised as I nodded towards the light. He grinned back at me and I laughed again, knowing he was thinking the exact same thing I was.

My heart started pounding in my chest, adrenaline racing through me again, but I knew this would be a bigger challenge than the one I'd already won tonight. For one thing, my car was pretty much spent. I really should have put in some hours getting her tuned up to perfection before I even thought about turning her loose again. But at least I still had enough for a shot or two of Nos. I knew I'd need all I could get, going up against Dom. Sure, I could beat him, but only about a third of the time, maybe half if I was on a really hot streak.

The first time had been a day or two after I'd blown up at everybody, insisted that I was going to start racing. Shit, it seemed like that was a lifetime ago, even though I knew it had barely been two years. I'd been so nervous, hands sweaty against the steering wheel, legs so jumpy it felt like I was never going to be able to hit the pedal. Sure Tony had taught me how to drive, but it was something different to be at the wheel. Dom had been right, not that I would ever have admitted it. It must have been pure dumb luck that let me beat him back then…. Either that or he'd let me win – I still wasn't sure which. It didn't really matter that much, I guess; he'd given me the confidence I needed to take on the rest of LA, and I'd beaten him for real plenty of times since.

I glanced over at him one more time before forcing myself to focus on my own shit. Christ but he was distracting, just being himself. I slid my hand over the top of the steering wheel, caressing the leather as my foot primed the gas. I couldn't help grinning as my car responded, the engine's deep throaty purr telling me she was more than ready to go.

As soon as the light changed I slammed my foot down, laughing as she jumped off the line for me. I stole another look at Dom's car to check his position, frowning as he started to surge ahead.

"I don't think so," I muttered under my breath as I shifted, the engine whining a little before responding. "Come on, baby, come on…."

We must have flipped the lead back and forth half a dozen times, neither of us wanting to be the first to hit our Nos tanks, until finally I knew if I didn't make my move soon I'd run out of room to make it at all. So I went for it, immediately bracing myself for the jolt of acceleration, laughing as I zoomed past Dom. And I was right – we were already across the tracks by the time he caught up, too late to count.

I kept Dom in my rearview mirror the whole way back to the fort, laughing every time I caught a glimpse of his scowl. He hated to lose, even to me. I couldn't blame him; I was the exact same way. Getting beat by Dom wasn't nearly as bad as the idea of somebody else crossing the line in front of me, but it still wasn't any fun. He'd get over it pretty quick, I knew. A couple of beers, a quick trip upstairs before rejoining the party…. Yeah, that would be more than enough to get his ego reset.

He was still halfway scowling when he pulled into the driveway behind me and got out of his car, and I shook my head, quickly running my hands over the steering wheel one last time.

"We had a damned good night, baby girl," I murmured, sliding out of my car and easing the door shut before turning to face Dom.

"Got you," I called out, smirking as I moved closer, not stopping until I was standing right in front of him. I just stood there for a few seconds, taking my time as I looked him over, eyes lingering on all my favorite spots. Finally, I grabbed his crucifix and carefully pulling it off over his head, lowering it over my own. "Trophy's mine, now…."


	100. Ready to Go Upstairs?

I let his hand drop as we walked into the house, laughing as the crowd surrounded me. He'd find me later, I was sure, end up pulling me upstairs as soon as everybody started clearing out, or maybe even before. I could count on getting laid just about every night, but race nights – they were still something special.

The girls found me pretty quickly, Mia offering me a beer as she chattered away. "I started thinking you got picked up or something," she said, and I could only shrug in apology. I knew she still worried about one of us getting sent away.

"It was fine," I answered, wincing a little when Amber elbowed me in the gut. "We took the long way, that's all," I added, hoping that would be enough to satisfy them.

Mia nodded, and I let out a sigh of relief before cracking open my beer and taking a few gulps of it.

"Who's here?" I asked, looking around. I spotted Vince right away, sitting in the den with his guitar, trying to act like he was some kind of rock star. I couldn't help nudging Jamie, laughing as I gestured towards him.

"All the usual," Amber answered, rolling her eyes at the group of girls dancing in the middle of the living room. Somehow the sluts always followed us home, even though I was pretty sure they weren't even getting anything off of Vince any more. "You'd think they'd stay away, since it's your victory party."

"You almost have to admire them," Mia said thoughtfully, shrugging when Amber gave her a look. "I mean, they're really persistent."

"Or just really stupid," Jamie said, looking around at each of us like she expected to get shot down, pushed out of the conversation.

"I'm not going to argue with that," Amber laughed before tipping back her beer.

We got kind of quiet after that – not awkward, just comfortable, laughing now and then when one of us would point out a chick wearing some truly ridiculous outfit. Most of the chicks at the races acted like they had no self respect. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be them. I mean, sure, I wanted Dom for a long time before he felt the same about me, and I probably made a fool of myself a million times, following him around. But I never dropped to the level of racer chaser, willing to do whatever to catch the attention of the guy of the moment. I always knew I wanted more than that.

"There you are," I heard Dom say, but I still jumped a little when I felt his arm sliding around my waist, pulling me back against him. Shit, he always liked catching me off guard like that when he could. Usually it drove me crazy, but for some reason all I could do that night was laugh as he moved us to a clear spot in the middle of the living room and started dancing, his hips bumping against my ass, his arm still wrapped around me, holding me close to him.

"Are you drunk already?" I teased, playfully grinding against him. He wasn't usually too much of a dancer at these parties, not even after that one time when he took me out for my birthday, but he definitely had the moves. And shit, I wasn't ever gonna complain about dancing with him.

"You ready to go upstairs?" he asked in return, his breath warm against my ear.

"What about all our guests, everyone who came to congratulate me?" I asked, laughing, pushing back against him again.

He just groaned, the low sound making my legs get a little wobbly. Shit. Dom was the only one who could do that to me; sometimes I loved it and hated it at the same time. Loved it, because who wouldn't love feeling that way, but hated it because I didn't like knowing that anybody had that much control over me, even Dom.

"Yeah, let's go," I finally said, my voice just as low as his. Shit, it wasn't like I really wanted to see anybody at this party anyway. The only ones who mattered were the team, and I saw them every day.

He laughed and leaned in to kiss my neck, his lips quickly brushing against my skin. It was just enough to make me get over wanting to sock him for laughing at me.


	101. You Got Plans For Me or Something?

I could have lost myself, kissing him. I probably would have, too, if it weren't for the doorknob pressing into my ass, making me hiss every time it jabbed into me. The thump of the bass from downstairs and the remains of my buzz coupled with Dom's mouth against mine were enough to make me overlook it for a while, but eventually enough was enough.

"Move," I growled, my hand at the center of his chest, pushing him back toward the bed. As soon as he sat down I was on him, straddling his lap as I tried to get as close to him as possible with all of our clothes still on. My skirt got pushed up around my waist, and I could already feel his hard-on pressing against me through his pants. His tongue plunged into my mouth, our teeth crashing together as we tried to devour each other.

I slid my hands under Dom's shirt, pulling away from him just long enough to pull it over his head and throw it onto the bed next to us. "Shit," I mumbled, grinning at him as I took advantage of the chance to look him over. A few seconds was all I gave myself, though, before I pounced on him, pushing him back onto the bed.

"You got plans for me or something?" Dom asked, smirking at me as he slid his hands behind his head.

I just rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I couldn't help laughing, though. Shit, I was still riding such a high from winning the race there wasn't any way I was giving up control, not even to him. "You got a problem with that?" I asked, staring him down, my eyebrows raised as I called his bluff.

He just laughed and I shook my head again, waiting for him to focus before I started to move. I rolled my hips gently against his, just barely moving as I slid my hands underneath my shirt. Inch by inch it came up, so slowly I could barely stand it myself. In the end, I had to force myself to keep to that tortuous pace and not just rip the damned thing right off.

I could feel Dom's eyes glued to my body, and I couldn't help smirking at him as I reached back to undo my bra. My hips started moving a little more, rubbing against him as I tried to get more friction going between us. Still, I didn't go any faster, teasingly easing each bra strap down over my arms and then tossing it away as well.

Dom growled, low in his throat, as I cupped my tits with my hands and the sound of it went straight through me, getting me wetter. Shit, it was enough to make me wish I'd gone commando; there were still way too many layers between us.

I lifted up onto my knees, quickly shimmying out of my underwear and sending them flying after my bra. I moved a little further down Dom's body, smirking at him again as I undid his belt and pulled it off.

"I think you need to race more often," Dom said, his voice rough and gravelly. "This take-charge Letty's kinda hot."

"Kinda?" I asked, grabbing for his shirt, rolling it up and snapping it at his chest. I couldn't help laughing as he tried to shield himself with his hands, acting like a complete fool. Being able to see this side of him was almost the biggest turn-on of all – I knew I was probably the only girl he'd ever let see inside of his tough guy façade.

It didn't take much longer to get the rest of his clothes off, leaving him naked underneath me. I leaned over to snatch a rubber from the box on his nightstand, nearly falling off the bed as I lost my balance. I could still feel Dom shaking underneath me when I recovered, knew he was trying to fight back the laugh, but I just stared him down, eyebrows raised. Have to admit, I thought about torturing him, making him beg for it, but shit, even I don't have that kinda willpower.

Still, I had to draw it out, make him wait a little. Couldn't let him think he was getting away with teasing me, or I'd never hear the end of it. So I took my time rolling the rubber onto his dick, just barely teasing his balls with my nails. Finally, though, I took pity on him, positioning myself above him and plunging down onto him in one fluid movement.

I bit my lip, taking a few seconds to let myself adjust to his size before I started moving, lifting myself almost completely off of him before letting myself slowly sink down again. Leaning back, I made sure his eyes were on me as I cupped my tits again. I couldn't help groaning as I started playing with my nipples, twisting and pulling at them.

Apparently he couldn't, either, since I heard his voice echoing mine as he grabbed onto my hips and started guiding my movements. Technically I guess I should have protested, since I had wanted to be in control and all. But shit, I wasn't going to argue with what felt good.

I lost track of how long I just rode him like that, letting him increase the pace of our movements as I kept tugging at my nipples, my groans getting steadily louder. We actually fell out of rhythm as I writhed on top of him, desperately trying to get more from this, enough to push me over the edge.

"Turn around," he growled, guiding me through the turn so that I ended up facing away from him.

"You got tired of watching?" I asked, my voice low and breathy.

"Lean back," was all he said, though, his hands coming to my waist to help support my weight.

No sooner was I where he wanted me than he started moving furiously beneath me, his dick slamming into me like a jackhammer, making my tits bounce all over the place. When his hand came searching for my clit, pawing at me – shit, that was it. My entire body tensed, and I bit my lip so hard trying to get that last bit I needed to go over to the edge that I tasted blood right before I went, spasms racking my body throughout one of the most intense orgasms I'd ever had.

"Stop, enough!" I cried out when he just kept going, not even close to being able to handle any more sensation. Shit, it felt like if he didn't stop, I would just completely fall apart, right there. Thankfully, he let me rest there, his dick still buried deep inside me and still completely hard. I don't even really know how long I took to catch my breath.

Finally ready to go for round two, I started moving again. Leaning forward, I braced my hands just above his knees and slowly began pumping my hips against his again. It was weird at first, not being able to see him, but shit, he was getting so deep inside me I didn't even care. And when he grabbed my ass, almost forcing me to lean further forward, I could tell why he'd wanted me in this position.

I could see everything, perfectly, and I couldn't take my eyes off of his dick, watching it slide into me every time I sank down onto him. And from the way he grabbed my ass, spreading my cheeks apart and guiding our rhythm, I was pretty sure he had just as good of a view. He started bucking underneath me again, pounding into me so hard I was sure we were gonna end up with a broken bed.

Just as I thought he was about to come, though, he stopped. "What're you doing?" I asked, my mouth dry again.

Instead of answering, he just rolled us onto our sides and hooked my leg over his, my foot pressing against his thigh. He reached between us, rubbing at my clit as he started thrusting into me yet again. I couldn't keep quiet as our bodies slapped against each other, my moans getting louder every second. All I could do was hope that the music downstairs covered up the noise we were making. Christ, I already got enough shit from Mia and Amber about being a screamer.

Before too long, though, I couldn't even think about that anymore. I bit at the inside of my lip, my entire focus narrowing to his fingers on my clit. I arched my back, fighting to get as close to him as possible, my hips bucking.

I could literally feel the release building again inside me, my entire body tightening as I fought to hold onto it, only to groan as it slipped away. I knew I could get off again. Shit, there were nights Dom tried to break his records on me. But even so, the timing of it all was essential – wait too long, or not long enough, and it just didn't work again until hours later.

Every thrust was like that, though, and I was sure if he could just hold on long enough before blowing his load that he'd be able to get me there. I grabbed his arm, fingers digging into his skin as I tried to make him push harder against my pussy.

"You're gonna be sore tomorrow," he warned, but I didn't give a damn and I definitely didn't back off.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually I knew without a doubt that I was almost there. "Close," I grunted, trying to warn Dom to make sure he got his too or maybe just urge him on, I wasn't sure.

It did the trick, either way. I couldn't help whining when he pulled out of me, almost whimpering, desperate until he pushed me over onto my hands and knees and I felt him moving behind me. I leaned forward, my face pressed against the mattress, as I thrust my hand down between my legs. As soon as my fingers reached my clit, Dom started pounding into me again, even harder than before. I couldn't stop whining and whimpering, working so hard to get off I thought I might start crying if it didn't work for some reason, or at the very least I'd make Dom pay somehow for leaving me hanging.

Luckily for both of us, it didn't take very much for me to get there. He followed after just a few more strokes, both of us collapsing onto the bed, breathing heavily. I don't know how much longer we lay just like that – it could have been seconds or minutes or hours.

"Bring me water?" I asked when Dom eventually rolled off of me.

"Yeah, of course," he answered, nodding as he headed to the bathroom to clean himself up.

"Should've said to do it before you got in the shower," I mumbled to myself when I heard the water star.

Shit, I probably could have used a shower myself, but I couldn't bring myself to get up. Not even the thought of spending the rest of the night laying in the wet spot was enough to move me. I tried to stay awake until Dom got back but I couldn't even manage that. Fucking my brains out – guaranteed way to get me into a deep ass sleep.


	102. Jesse

One of the girls shrieking woke me up out of the deepest sleep I'd gotten in a while. It took me a few seconds to recover, realize I wasn't waking up back in my cell at Lompoc. It probably should've been more obvious, what with Letty laying there naked next to me and all. But I still had nightmares about that place all the time, maybe a couple times a week – not necessarily about things that had happened to me, but shit I witnessed.

I thought about just ignoring the noise, letting one of the guys handle it, but shit. It was my house and I knew I wouldn't have been able to go back to sleep anyway. Plus, as I looked at the clock I realized it was way too early to wake Letty up without having to deal with her attitude the rest of the day. I slid out of bed carefully, doing my best to stay quiet. Christ, don't even know why I bothered. She slept like the dead; like I used to be able to before I got sent away.

I grabbed a pair of boxers, pulling them on before going out into the hallway. It wasn't really a surprise to find Leon in the hallway, on his way to check shit out.

"What's up, man?" I asked him, groaning a little as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

I didn't know what I expected him to say, probably that one of the girls found a mouse in the bathroom or something. I definitely didn't expect him to point towards the bathroom and whisper that somebody was in there. Shit, by then people knew not to overstay their welcome at the parties. Letty'd gone postal on a couple of chicks who tried to sneak up into our bedroom a couple months after all the shit with Julie settled, pretty much took care of anybody trying to overstay their welcome. Plus, whichever one of us was the last to crash was supposed to do a check of the house, make sure everyone had cleared out. Apparently that hadn't worked so well last night.

"What?" I asked, shaking my head as I glanced at the bathroom door. "Oh, fuck this," I muttered, pushing past Leon and barging into the room.

I couldn't really see the guy at first, but I couldn't help grimacing when I saw him laying there. He was hunched over the toilet, facing the wall, and I knew he must've been completely shitfaced to manage to pass out like that and stay out all night.

"Time to get up and out, man," I growled, lightly kicking his foot.

He didn't even move. I shook my head, starting to get pissed. Shit, I was supposed to be in bed next to Letty, either sleeping or thinking up ways to wake her up and start our morning off right, not in here trying to get this motherfucker out of my house.

"What?" the guy finally mumbled, looking back and forth between me and Leon.

"Look, kid," I growled at him, even though most of the anger had already started to clear out of me. Shit, he really was just a kid, probably not too much older than Letty and Mia and looking like some kind of starved mutt. "If you want to party here after the races, that's fine. But let's get one thing straight, this ain't no hotel."

"Sorry," he mumbled, shaking his head.

I nodded, satisfied that it wouldn't take him too long to get lost, and headed back into the hall. "You've got three minutes," I called over my shoulder.

"You're Dom, right?" he asked, and I stopped in my tracks, eyebrows raised as I turned back to stare him down. "Dominic Toretto, I mean," he quickly corrected himself.

"Depends on who's asking," I growled. Shit, maybe I'd written this scrawny ass kid off too fast. He could've been in with Johnny's crew, or anybody else who'd decided it was their time to challenge me.

"I heard about you," the kid stammered, looking like he was about to piss his pants or something. "You're a good racer. I thought... well hoped I could meet you; maybe help you out with any problems you might be having with your cars."

That right there got me relaxed, shaking my head as I looked over at Leon. I couldn't help laughing, half because I couldn't believe this kid had the balls to try to sell me and half because I couldn't wait to hear Leon's version of it all later with all the commentary I was sure he had running through his head.

"Already got a mechanic," I finally said, jerking my thumb towards Leon. "And he's pretty good."

"Yeah," he started again, looking over at Leon like he wasn't sure whether or not we were about to lay a beating on him. "But…."

"Two minutes," I interrupted, folding my arms across my chest. I had to admit, though, I was a little interested in hearing what he had to say. Otherwise he would've already been out on his ass on the front lawn.

"I've seen you guys working. You're a good team," he said, hesitating before he continued. "I just might be able to help you out a little more. I know about cars and -"

"And what is that exactly?" Leon asked, interrupting him.

"What?" the kid stammered, looking like he was about to piss his pants again.

"What do you know about cars?" Leon asked again, leaning against the door frame.

"One minute," I said. Shit, I was starting to get tired of this. If we just hired everybody who thought they knew shit about cars we'd have the whole fucking neighborhood on our payroll.

"I, uh... I know a way to increase the performance on your girlfriend's car," he said, hesitating again when he looked at me. He went a little pale, like he might have been feeling the hangover I was sure he must have had. But eventually he took a deep breath and continued. "For free."

"Bullshit," Leon snorted. "Nothing's free."

"Small fixes... until you get money to put actual mods in the car. She—she's good, but she's going to wear out the engine if she keeps racing it like that."

I couldn't help nodding a little. He was right, but I sure as shit wasn't going to tell him that. The little bit of profit we took home from the shop was just barely enough to pay the bills and even the cash from the races wasn't enough to keep all of our cars in peak condition.

"And what do you propose we do?" I asked quietly, even though I was sure he was just going to spout out some bullshit answer, make suggestions that would cost way more than we had available.

"Well, for starters, you could, uh... do a two and a half to three inch exhaust and not bother wasting any money on headers. You'll be able to save the money for turbo parts that way. If you want to pick up more speed, you can cut the ac fan and that will help. You can take the distribution block off, that will increase the feel to the clutch pedal and make it easier to bleed…."

I looked over at Leon as the kid kept rattling off suggestions. I could tell he was just as impressed as I was. Maybe this kid had possibilities.

"And there's always weight reduction," he continued, drawing our attention back to him again.

"Are you implying something?" Leon growled, and I had to fight off a laugh. Shit, he was always protective of the girls, and especially of Letty.

"No," the kid said, quickly shaking his head. "No... I meant... I meant any interior not used, er... um, the catalytic converter even. That will add some horse power..."

"So where'd you learn all this?" I asked, still not totally convinced he hadn't been sent in here as some kind of spy or something.

"My dad," the kid answered. "But, you know, he got locked up last month and I've been trying to keep busy ever since. I mean, cars are all I've ever known. I'm not cut out for a nine-to-five job."

"Okay," I nodded, slowly circling the kid. "I like your ideas, but I want to test them out. If they work out like you think, then I'm willing to add you to the team. I mean, as long as you're not some rapist serial killer, right?"

"No," the kid said, wincing.

"Gimme your wallet," I growled, grabbing it from the kid when he held it out to me. "Take that to Vince. He'll know what to do with it," I told Leon, blindly tossing the wallet to him. "If it checks out, then we'll take it from there... what the fuck is your name anyway?"

"Jesse." the kid responded quietly. "My name's Jesse."

"Make yourself at home, Jesse," I said, reaching out my hand, laughing as he shook it. "You've got to be able to find someplace in here more comfortable than the john."

And with that, I headed back toward my room and Letty. Shit, I was going to have to do some convincing to make her go along with having this kid try out all his ideas on her ride. Luckily I had some ideas of how to go about it.


	103. Take a Look

I glanced at the clock, grinning a little to myself as I stripped out of my boxers and tossed them to the floor. Chances were she wouldn't be happy about being woken up now, but I figured I might as well press my luck. Worst case scenario, she'd push me away and be pissed off the rest of the day but there was a pretty good chance of that happening anyway.

I slid into bed next to her, wrapping my arm over her waist and pulling her close. My hand started wandering pretty quickly; pushing up underneath the beater she was wearing to get to her tit.

"Time is it...?" she groaned, shaking her head a little, but I didn't answer.

Instead I just started kissing the back of her neck, my lips skimming her skin. My fingers started moving too, sliding across her nipple. I groaned, low in my throat, when I felt her starting to react – nipple hardening, ass pressing back against me – and it didn't take me too long to get completely focused on this, on her.

"I wanna taste you," I murmured, my mouth close against her ear.

It took her long enough to react that I thought she might have fallen back to sleep. But after a couple of minutes she rolled towards me, onto her back.

"Oh, you're in the mood now?" I couldn't help asking, laughing as she half-heartedly flipped me the bird. Probably the best thing about giving Letty shit in the morning was the guarantee that she wouldn't put too much effort into coming after me to get even. I'd learned that lesson pretty early, when we were just little kids, and luckily it still held true.

I leaned in close, kissing her neck, slowly increasing the pressure of my mouth against her skin until I knew I was close to leaving her bruised. Slowly, then, I let my hand slide under her shirt, grabbing it in my fist as I pulled it up. Just when I thought she wasn't going to help me out at all, she lifted up a little, making it easier to get the beater off of her. I couldn't help the low appreciative growl – never could get over how hot she was.

"You gonna do this or what?" she asked, her voice still low and rough with sleep. "'Cause you could stare at me just fine while I sleep."

I was still laughing when my lips brushed hers. And no matter how much she'd complain later about being woken up, she started kissing me back pretty quickly.

It didn't take me too long, though, to start wanting more. I moved on down her body, alternating between short light kisses and quick bites. It seemed like every touch left her gasping, and I knew that no matter how much she protested there was no way she was gonna stop me.

Actually, she started urging me on, her hand on my head pushing me further down her body. I let my hand take the lead, my fingers teasing over her skin until they reached my destination.

My eyebrows raised as she barely spread her legs for me, wondering just how much longer she was gonna keep up this charade, acting like she wasn't really interested, just indulging me. I didn't let it talk me out of this, though. Instead, I started stroking her slit, my middle finger pushing against the lips of her pussy until she opened up enough for it to slip inside.

She was already wet, nearly ready for me; my fingers sank into her easily, slowly thrusting as my thumb flicked across her clit. I could tell she hadn't given up the ghost yet, was still trying to act like she wasn't into it, but her low moans and sighs gave her away. And it didn't take too much longer until her legs were spread wide, giving me all the room I needed.

I could feel her body tightening underneath me, trying to work with me to get her there. I lifted my head a little, wanting to watch her go over. It didn't take too much longer for me to ease her through. She was so quiet that if I hadn't been touching her I might not have realized it was happening, but nothing could disguise the tell-tale shuddering, the feel of her pussy clamping down on my fingers.

I ducked down then, my tongue replacing my fingers as I suckled and slurped at her pussy, drinking her juices down. Christ, I didn't think I would ever get my fill of her; she tasted better than anything.

I took my fill of her until I knew I was pushing the timing of all this, about to lose the opportunity to send her over the edge again. Just when I felt her body starting to settle down I changed up my plan of attack, moving to focus on her clit. My tongue flicked across that nub, hoping I hadn't fucked this up by waiting too long. I was rewarded pretty quickly, though, when she started squirming again.

"Shit, Dom," she gasped as her hand came to the back of my head, her nails scratching against my scalp when she pushed me closer into her.

I just laughed, taking her clit between my teeth as I brought my hands back into the mix. She jumped a little every time I shoved into her, finger fucking her hard and fast and rough as I started just barely biting down on her clit, teasing with my teeth.

Her legs locked around my neck as she thrashed underneath me, and it was pretty much all I could do to just hang on and ride her out. Eventually she settled down again, leaving me free to escape her grasp.

I pulled away, grabbing her by the arm and leading her into the bathroom. I had to support most of her weight as I got her where I wanted, leaning over the counter, but the view I got in the mirror as I moved behind her was definitely worth it.

My arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her up onto her toes to get her closer to the right height. It wasn't perfect, but it'd do. I had to use my free hand to guide myself into her, but as soon as I was there I started up in a fast, hard rhythm, both of us grunting with every thrust.

It didn't take long for me to get right to the edge of my control. Shit, being able to watch her in the mirror, tits bouncing every time we moved, didn't help me out any. I lowered my hand, fingers swiping at her clit as best I could in this position. Yeah, I knew bringing her off three times was pushing shit a little, but I still wanted this to be good for her.

"Just go," she grunted, her hips moving to meet mine as our bodies slammed together.

I finally nodded, focusing on my own release. It only took a few more thrusts for me to get there, and I stayed leaning against her after, my face nestled against the crook of her neck, breathing her scent.

"This guy's gonna take a look at your car, fix it up," I said, kissing her neck before moving away. My whole body tightened, getting ready for her reaction. It wasn't like I was scared of what she'd do; I just knew she wouldn't like the idea. I was just hoping I'd given her enough that she wouldn't be too pissed.

She stood up straight, our eyes meeting in the mirror, hers drilling straight through me. "The fuck are you smoking, Toretto?"


End file.
